05 | 2015
ISSN 1862‑5258
Sep / Oct
Highlights Fibres / Textiles| 12 Barrier materials | 36 Basics
bioplastics
MAGAZINE
Vol. 10
Land use (update) | 48
News PHA from sugar beet | 7 2 countries
... is read in 9
Back to nature
TELLUS® urna is a beautiful and personalized urn that has been made from Bio-Flex®, a PLA-based compound. Thus, it consists of a large portion of renewable raw materials and is biodegradable. A Swedish company, Millennium Design has opted for this material as an alternative to conventional ones. In the end, the product deteriorates in the ground. This allows a natural and also ecological pass of mortal remains into the cycle of nature.
TELLUS urna ®
a personal farwell
“It took me several months to find the right material. I searched for a material that was both biodegradable and which could provide a beautiful finish. The goal was to design and manufacture a burial urn that is both ecological, universal and personal.” Susanne Appel, designer & CEO, Millennium Design. www.tellusurna.se
For more information visit www.fkur.com www.fkur-biobased.com
Editorial
dear readers ISSN 1862-5258
Organising our first bio!CAR conference on biobased materials for automotive applications in parallel with the COMPOSITES EUROPE trade fair was an experiment – and it showed us that there is room for improvement… All in all, how‑ ever, as the inaugural edition of a brand new confer‑ ence, bio!CAR 2015 was a success. Read more about this event on page 8. The first highlight topic of this issue is Fibres / Textiles with a number of really interesting articles that run the gamut from PLA twines to PLA‑fibre recycling, from piezoelectric fibres to fibres in automotive ap‑ plications, and much more.
05 | 2015
Highlights Fibres / Textiles| 12 Barrier materials | 36
Vol. 10
Basics Land use (update) | 48
MAGAZINE
This edition also includes a comprehensive review of the challenges and very latest developments regard‑ ing Barrier issues. As the sheer number of articles reveals, this is a highlight topic that obviously hits the nerve of the packaging industry.
Sep / Oct
News
bioplastics
And because of the many people interested in PHA from sugar beet | 7 biobased plastics who are still concerned that biobased materials production may compete for land with food production, we once again address the Basics topic of Land use. Independent experts confirm that, even with the expected growth rates for bioplastics, there is more than enough agricultural land available for both food/feed and materials. bioplastics MAGAZINE is honoured to present the five finalists of the 10th Global Bioplastics Award on pages 10 – 11. The Bioplastics Oskar will be awarded to the winner during the 10th European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin, Germany on November 5th, 2015.
... is read in 92 countries
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As always, we’ve rounded up some of the most recent news items on materi‑ als and applications in the present issue to keep you on top of the innovations and ongoing advances in the world of bioplastics. We hope you enjoy reading bioplastics MAGAZINE. Sincerely yours Like us on Facebook!
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Michael Thielen
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
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Content
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05|2015
Publisher / Editorial Dr. Michael Thielen (MT) Samuel Brangenberg (SB) Karen Laird (KL)
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Sep / Oct
Polymedia Publisher GmbH Dammer Str. 112 41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany phone: +49 (0)2161 6884469 fax: +49 (0)2161 6884468 info@bioplasticsmagazine.com www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
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Caroline Motyka phone: +49(0)2161‑6884467 fax: +49(0)2161 6884468 cm@bioplasticsmagazine.com
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Chris Shaw Chris Shaw Media Ltd Media Sales Representative phone: +44 (0) 1270 522130 mobile: +44 (0) 7983 967471
28 New LCA
Award
Layout/Production
10 The 10th Bioplastics Award
Ulrich Gewehr (Dr. Gupta Verlag) Max Godenrath (Dr. Gupta Verlag)
Basics
48 Land Use (Update)
Poligrāfijas grupa Mūkusala Ltd. 1004 Riga, Latvia bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on chlorine‑free FSC certified paper. Total print run: 3,500 copies
From Science & Research 18 How much bio is in there
bioplastics magazine ISSN 1862‑5258
Report 32 3D printing ‑ the sophisticated way
bM is published 6 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (149 Euro for 6 issues).
34 A “Made in Europe” Biorefinery
bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in 92 countries.
Fibres / Textiles
Barrier
12 Efficiency boost in PA fibre recycling 13 QMilk fibres close to market launch 14 Improved PLA twines for horticulture support
15 World’s first piezoelectric fabrics for wearable devices
16 New biobased fibers for automotive interior applications
36 Barrier... but also biobased and thermoformable
38 PLA and Cellulose based film laminates 40 Renewable material with superior barrier performance
42 Cellulose based barrier solutions 44 Improvement of barrier properties on PLA‑based packaging products
46 A multilayer cellulosic packaging with a bio‑based barrier
3 Editorial 5 News
All articies appearing in bioplastics MAGAZINE, or on the website www. bioplasticsmagazine.com are strictly covered by copyright. bioplastics MAGAZINE welcomes contri‑ butions for publication. Submissions are accepted on the basis of full assignment of copyright to Polymedia Publisher GmbH unless otherwise agreed in advance and in writing. We reserve the right to edit items for reasons of space, clarity or legality. Please contact the editorial office via mt@bioplasticsmaga‑ zine.com. The fact that product names may not be identified in our editorial as trade marks is not an indication that such names are not registered trade marks. bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British spelling. However, in articles based on information from the USA, American spelling may also be used.
Envelopes
30 Application News
part of this print run is mailed to the readers wrapped in BoPLA envelopes sponsored by Taghleef Industries, S.p.A. Maropack GmbH & Co. KG, and SFV Verpackungen
50 Glossary
Cover
54 Suppliers Guide
Photo: PEPPERSMINT (shutterstock)
24 Material News
57 Event Calendar 58 Companies in this issue Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/bioplasticsmag
Every effort is made to verify all Information published, but Polymedia Publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or for any losses that may arise as a result. No items may be reproduced, copied or stored in any form, including electronic format, without the prior consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed in arti‑ cies do not necessarily reflect those of Polymedia Publisher.
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News
New corporate identity for the Novamont group “Today we greet the world with a new corporate image, that reflects the DNA of our values, celebrates our evolution over the years into today’s Novamont, and demonstrates our desire to be promoters of change.” With these words, Novamont CEO, Catia Bastioli opened the presentation of the new visual identity for Novamont and Mater‑Bi®, the family of products which has made Novamont the world’s leading company in the bioplastics and biochemicals sector. “We are now no longer a single company. After significant investments, we have become a group of companies, a network of production and research sites, a sales network that stretches out across the globe and a major joint venture. We are now a group that has its roots firmly in the local areas but its head in the world. Our new corporate image confirms our drive towards continuous innovation, which has always been the driving force behind our development,” she added. Designed by Lorenzo Marini Group, the new corporate image is a blue-green ribbon which wraps around itself in an upward circular movement, representing the idea of a perpetual drive towards excellence in research, planet Earth and regeneration. A perfect synthesis of the systemic approach with which Novamont is revisiting the traditional production-consumption-disposal economic model from a different standpoint, that of circular economy and supplychains, with undoubted advantages for the environment and for local areas. Tilted sideways, the ribbon becomes the letter M, standing for Mater-Bi, the family of products developed through the integration of chemistry, the environment and agriculture. The result of over 25 years of research and innovation and of around 1,000 patents, Mater-Bi can provide solutions to specific environmental problems, that of organic waste for example, marking the present and the future of a truly sustainable development for both the environment and for society. Though different, the two symbols can transmute into each other, signifying the strength of the bond between the original development model that Novamont strives towards and the concreteness of demonstration, made possible by the case studies and the integrated supply chains pioneered by Mater-Bi over the years. Novamont research has spawned an international industrial reality with Italian roots, but also a platform for interdisciplinary innovation of great potential, which is able to interconnect different worlds and catalyse new initiatives that can be replicated in many other contexts. “With our customary passion and our new brand identity, together with our partners and colleagues we are ready to face a global market that can no longer ignore the essential and central role of natural resources for mankind”, Catia Bastioli concluded. KL www.novamont.com
New ASTM Standard on biodegradability of plastics in water Laboratories will soon be able to use a new ASTM International standard to test and better understand biodegradability of plastics in marine environments. The new standard (soon to be published as D7991, Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastics Buried in Sandy Marine Sediment Under Controlled Laboratory Conditions) provides ways to simulate how plastics degrade in seawater-soaked sand. According to ASTM member Francesco Degli Innocenti (director, ecology of products and environmental communication, Novamont), the recent discovery of major contamination in the oceans has heightened interest in the biodegradability of plastics. “The environment cannot cope with massive littering, whether it’s biodegradable or not,” says Innocenti, “However, there are certain products prone to being lost at sea – such as fishing gear – that could have much less environmental impact by being made with plastics that biodegrade quickly in that environment.” The standard will provide specific test methods that determine biodegradation rates in different marine habitats simulated in laboratories. Such tests will help establish parameters to develop plastics that ensure faster biodegradation. The standard will also advance the understanding of biodegradation when unexpected or uncontrolled releases of plastics occur. All interested parties are invited to join in the standards developing activities of Subcommittee D20.96 on Environmentally Degradable Plastics and Biobased Products. In addition to continuing work on standards for biodegradation in water, the subcommittee is working on proposed standards for biodegradation in soil. MT www.astm.org
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
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News
daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Bioplastics Organisations Network Europe (BON Europe) launched The Bioplastics Organisations Network Europe (BON Europe) is a newly formed collaboration of national bioplastics organizations from across Europe. BON Europe was launched in summer 2015 with the mission to connect initiatives around the bioplastics industry on EU level and in the Member States. The BON Europe partner organizations represent companies that produce, convert or use bioplastics that are biobased, biodegradable or both, as well as upstream and downstream sectors, such as agriculture and waste management. The founding members include: Belgian Bio Packaging (Belgium), Club Bio-plastiques (France), Der Verbund kompostierbare Produkte (Germany), Holland Bioplastics (The Netherlands), and Nordisk Bioplastförening (Nordic countries). European Bioplastics (EUBP) acts as the umbrella organization and coordinates the BON network. “The main objective of BON Europe is to push for an economically and politically favorable landscape for bioplastics in Europe”, says François de Bie, Chairman of European Bioplastics. “This includes promoting legislative measures to encourage market uptake and eco-design of products, equal access as well as use of responsibly sourced renewable raw materials, as well as promoting an efficient waste management infrastructure throughout Europe that supports separate biowaste collection and organic recycling.” With a current production capacity of almost 1 % of global plastic production and a growth rate of at least 20 % per year, bioplastics are an economically innovative sector that can drive economic development and employment in Europe. Bioplastics can contribute to reduce Europe’s dependency on fossil resources and to reduce European greenhouse gas emissions by driving the development of a biobased circular economy. “Over the coming years, we will work together on answering vital questions and developing joint statements regarding standardization, sourcing of biomass, end-of-life-options, and sustainability assessment of bioplastics in order to strengthen our position in negotiations and lobbying activities on EU and Member State level and to achieve the best possible progress of the industry”, says Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of European Bioplastics. KL www.european-bioplastics.org.
Newest report on bio-PET market Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Global Bio-based Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Market 2015 – 2019” report to their offering. The analysts forecast the global bio-based PET market to grow at a CAGR of 68.25 % over the period 2014 – 2019. The report, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from various industry experts. The report includes a comprehensive discussion on the market, an extensive coverage on various applications, and end-uses and composition of bio-based PET. The report provides comments on both the existing market landscape and the growth prospects in the coming years. Raw materials constitute a major part of the production cost for manufacturers. Vendors are exposed to the volatile prices and inconsistent availability of raw materials. To secure themselves from any kind of price or availability shocks, companies often tend to forge long-term sourcing agreements or venture out into acquiring captive sources of raw materials. There is also a growing trend of textile manufacturers acquiring strategic stakes in the supplier firms to have better control on quality of input materials. According to the report, strong advertising campaigns and promotional activities in the Cola sub-segment have helped this category perform better than the other categories in the segment. Pricing activity will be a key factor in the future as consumers opt for the best deals. Further, the report states that volatility in prices of crude and petrochemical intermediaries such as PTA, which is a major raw material in the production of bio-based PET, is one of the major challenges.MT www.researchandmarkets.com
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News
Important milestones for PHA Bologna, Italy-based Bio-on recently singed a number of important contracts to further develop the technology to produce PHAs. PHA, or polyhydroxyalkanoates, are bioplastics that can replace a number of traditional polymers currently made with petrochemical processes using hydrocarbons. The PHAs developed by Bio-on guarantee the same thermo-mechanical properties as oil-based polymers with the advantage of being completely naturally biodegradable.
PHA from sugar beet (France) Bio-on and Cristal Union, a French cooperative sugar producer signed an agreement end of July under which France‘s first facility for the production of PHAs bioplastic from sugar beet co-products will be built. The two companies will work together to build a production site with a 5,000 tonnes/year output to be subsequently be expanded to 10,000 tonnes/year. Requiring a 70 million Euro investment, the facility will be located at a Cristal Union site and will be the most advanced biopolymers production site in the world. The new factory will create 50 new jobs specialized in fermentation to produce this revolutionary bioplastic. “We are investing in purchasing the license for this new technology developed by Bio-on,” says Cristal Union CEO Alain Commisaire, “because this all-natural bioplastic is an extraordinary tool that can contribute towards the growth of the French sugar industry, but with a modern, eco-compatible and eco-sustainable approach”.
PHA from lignocellulose (Hawai‘i) In early September an exclusive global research contract between Bio-on and University of Hawai’i was signed to further develop the technology to produce PHAs from lignocellulosic materials derived from wood processing waste and domestic or agricultural waste. Bio-on will invest 1.4 million US-Dollars in the Manoa (HI) laboratories for this project. The Hawai‘i Natural Energy Institute, a research unit of the School of Ocean and Earth Science & Technology (SOEST) at University of Hawai’i at Manoa, will take the lead on the research. The aim is to create an industrial process in which a wider selection of waste products can serve as the feedstock for the production of PHAs.
PHA from sugar cane (Brazil) The Brazilian investment company Moore Capital signed a license agreement with Bio-on in mid September to build the first Brazil-based facility to produce PHAs bioplastic from sugar cane co-products. Requiring an 80 million Euro investment, the new facility will have an annual production capacity of around 10,000 tonnes of PHA, and be located in either São Paulo or Acre State. According to the two companies, the new plant will become the most advanced biopolymers production site in South America. “We will create Brazil‘s first PHAs production facility with a company attentive to ecology and sustainability two key ingredients of the chemical industry of the future,” explained Marco Astorri. The PHA produced at the new facility will be based on agricultural waste, such as from sugar cane. “We have decided to use Bio-on technology,” says Otávio Pacheco, Management Partner of Moore Capital, “because it represents an exceptional opportunity for industrial development in Brazil. This is why we have decided to invest 5.5 million Euro in acquiring the production license and another 80 million in constructing the first facility”. Moore Capital also has an option to build a second plant in Brazil. The new production hub will create 60 new jobs, plus allied industries. Its backers say that it will help to meet the high demand for this revolutionary biopolymer already coming in from numerous plastics processors in Brazil. Bio-on has said that going forward, the company would also be looking at how to further develop the business of the high-performing biopolymers produced in Brazil with Bio-on technology in South America. MT www.bio-on.it · www. www.cristal-union.fr www.manoa.hawaii.edu/miro · www.moorecapital.com.br
UH is “pleased to accept Bio-on‘s investment” according to Robert Bley-Vroman, Chancellor of the University of Hawai’i Manoa USA. The investment will “make our scientists key players in the research into the green chemical industry at global level,” he said. Bioon Chairman Marco Astorri noted that the newly signed contract makes the research conducted in the USA on behalf of Bio-on one of the highest-level collaborations in existence. “We are committing our funding and our technicians to support UH scientists in the technological expansion of the high performing biopolymers produced with Bio-on technology,” he declared.
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Events
Successful debut of bio!CAR conference
W
ith a combined attendance of around 70 participants, the inaugural bio!CAR conference, organized by bio‑ plastics MAGAZINE together with the nova-Institute, can truly be termed a success. The new conference, which focussed exclusively on biobased materials in automotive en‑ gineering, was launched in Stuttgart, Germany on 24 and 25 September, within the framework of COMPOSITES EUROPE 2015. bio!CAR attracted attendees representing the entire value chain, ranging from raw materials producers to OEMs, Tier 1 and other suppliers. The theme of the bio!CAR conference aimed to reflect the trend towards the increasing use of biobased polymers and natural fibres in the automotive industry: more and more manufacturers and suppliers are betting on biobased alternatives derived from renewable raw materials such as wood, flax, jute, sisal, cotton or coir, used as reinforcement materials, as well as reinforced or unreinforced, but biobased thermoplastics, thermoset or chemical building blocks. According to the Hürth-based nova-Institute, the European car industry processed approximately 80,000 tonnes (2012) of wood and natural fibres into composites. The total volume of bio-based composites in automotive engineering was 150,000 tonnes. Bioplastics are equally useful for premium applications in the auto sector. Castor oil-based polyamides are used in high-performance components, polylactic acid (PLA) in door panels, soy-based foams in seat cushions and arm rests, and biobased epoxy resins in composites. The bio!CAR conference was filled with a host of expert presentations on the latest developments, the overall market situation and the legal frameworks in the field of biobased materials. Today’s portfolio of these materials ranges from the conventional plastics filled or reinforced with sophisticated natural-fibre products to the biobased, drop-in plastics, such as castor oil-based polyamides, biobased epichlorohydrin for epoxy resins or biobased EPDM elastomers. And although one speaker commented that these drop-ins were ‘kind of boring because they cannot be differentiated from their fossil-based counterparts’, the majority of attendees agreed
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that the fact that these drop-ins are partly or fully biobased represents a significant advantage. Novel bioplastics, such as furfuryl alcohol or isosorbide-based bio-polycarbonate, were also featured. During a panel discussion, the conference discussed the questions: “The future of automobile interior parts – Light weight, easy to recycle, biobased or even biodegradable? Where does the journey go?”. One aspect that emerged in the discussion was that performance and sustainability are key. “Not biobased for the sake of biobased only,” as Maira Magnani (Ford) put it. The Get-Together sponsored by bioplastics MAGAZINE and Fraunhofer WKI afforded attendees the opportunity to meet and mingle close to the exhibited Bioconcept Car, a race car that includes a number of different bioplastic and biocomposite parts. In addition to the highly acclaimed (by delegates, speakers and exhibitors) conference, all attendees had free access to the COMPOSITES EUROPE trade show, which included a special Biobased Composites Pavilion, featuring over 20 exhibitors. MT www.bio-car.info
bio CAR
says
THANK YOU...
...to all of the attendees, sponsors, and speakers who participated in bio!car 2015 www.bio-car.info supported by
VK
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in cooperation with
Media Partner
Award
The Bio‑ plastics Oskar Finalists for the 10th Global Bioplastics Award
b
ioplastics MAGAZINE is honoured to present the five finalists for the 10th Global Bioplastics Award. Five judges from the aca‑ demic world, the press and industry associations from America, Europe and Asia have again reviewed many really interesting proposals. On these two pages we present details of the five most promising submis‑ sions. The Global Bioplastics Award recognises innovation, success and achievements by manufacturers, processors, brand owners, or users of bioplastic materials. To be eligible for consideration in the awards scheme the proposed company, product, or service must have been developed or have been on the market during 2014 or 2015.
The following companies/ products are shortlisted (without any ranking) and from these five finalists the winner will be announced during the 10th European Bioplastics Conference on November 5th, 2015 in Berlin, Germany.
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Alki (France)
Tetra Pak (Italy)
Kuskoa Bi – the first bioplastic chair
Tetra Rex® Bio‑based ‑ The world’s first fully renewable package
The comfortable and generously‑ sized Kuskoa Bi, designed by Jean Louis Iratzoki is the first chair on the market to be manufactured in bioplastic. This biobased polymer is fully recyclable and its production gives rise to a significant environmental advantage as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Its particularly enveloping shell, that has classic simple lines reminiscent of those seen in the Eames’ DAW Chair, is cut out in such a way as to optimize back and arm support, is delicately placed on a solid wood trestle. A version in a soft wool‑based upholstery is also available. The bioplastic used to manufacture the Kuskoa Bi shell is based on PLA, made from plant‑based renewable resources (corn starch, sugarcane, natural fibres, etc.). It is a fully recyclable material that has a significant environmental advantage as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions. “We are very much aware that everything we do, whether as individuals or groups, has a direct impact on the surrounding environment,” says Alki’s artistic director Jean Louis Iratzoki. This is why the oak used comes from sustainably managed forests and most of their upholstery is made from natural materials (wool, natural fibres, linoleum, etc.). The approach to the new project is no different. Eki Solorzano (Alki’s media representative): “True to our principles, we wanted to participate in this sustainable development approach by breaking new ground with the pioneering manufacture of a bioplastic chair.” www.alki.fr
Within their ten year business plan for the environment, this year, Tetra Pak achieved a significant milestone with the launch of Tetra Rex Bio‑based, the world’s first fully renewable liquid food carton package — solely produced from renewable, recyclable and traceable FSC™ certified packaging and bio‑based plastic derived entirely from sugarcane (Braskem’s bio‑PE). In 2007 Tetra Pak launched the world’s first FSC labelled cartons. By 2014, 130 Billion FSC labelled packages had reached consumers. In 2011, caps made from certified and traceable sugar cane (bio‑PE) were introduced and within a year 1 billion bio‑based caps had been featured on Tetra Pak packages sold worldwide. The next step was to combine this development of certified paperboard and bio‑plastic into the world’s first fully renewable carton. This ambition culminated in the commercial launch of Tetra Rex Bio‑based in January 2015. The package is unique within the industry as it is manufactured solely from plastics derived from sugar cane and FSC certified paperboard. As such, it is fully renewable, fully recyclable and entirely traceable to source. The low‑density polyethylene (LDPE) used to create the laminate film for the packaging material and the neck of the opening, together with the high‑density polyethylene (HDPE) cap, are all derived from sugar cane. The product hit shelves first in Scandinavia and customers reported that consumer feedback was extremely positive. www.tetrapak.com
Award
MHG Meredia Holdings Group (USA)
First biodegradable fishing lures MHG strives to create a greener tomorrow with renewable, sustainable, biodegradable, and toxin free bioplastics for people at work and at home. MHG’s biopolymer resins have helped create a healthier product marketplace for over a decade. MHG recently presented the first ever certified biodegradable freshwater fishing lure, which is being produced by the famous tackle company, Bill Lewis Lures, the maker of Rat‑L‑Trap™. The new Rat‑L‑Traps is made out of pure MHG PHA bioplastic. “Fishing is a seventy three billion dollar industry and the freshwater division makes up eighty two percent of it,” remarked Paul Pereira, CEO of MHG. “Partnering with Rat‑L‑Trap to make these popular lures in a biodegradable form is a big step in reducing plastic pollution produced by the fishing industry.” In addition to performance, there has been positive feedback regarding the pilot production of the PHA Rat‑L‑Traps, including its ability to weld together better than the traditional plastic that’s been used. There have been no known production complications to date. “The PHA has a lot of potential and I am very excited about what we’ve seen so far,” stated Wes Higgins, President of Bill Lewis Lures, the company who produces Rat‑L‑Traps. “I’m honored to have our name associated with research that could lead to conservation of our fishing resources.” Bill Lewis Lures is the producer of the Original Rat‑L‑Trap lipless crankbait. The Rat‑L‑Trap has been referred to as “The Most Influential Fishing Lure” of all time in Outdoor Life’s Hall of Fame Fishing Lures article. www.mhgbio.com
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. and Sharp Corp. (Japan)
Crack resistant bio‑based plastic smartphone screen Sharp Corporation (Osaka, Japan) has chosen Mitsubishi Chemical’ (MCC) biobased engineering plastic DURABIO™ for the front panel of its new smartphone, the AQUOS CRYSTAL 2. The choice marks a world‑first as bio‑based engineering plastic has ever been used on the front panel of any smartphone. Most front panels of smartphones are made of glass, and their susceptibility to cracking has been an ongoing problem. This has led manufacturers to consider polycarbonate and other plastics for the front panels because of their light weight and increased durability compared to glass. Unfortunately, some traditionally available plastics offered excellent optical properties, but were more prone to cracking upon impact, while others that were impact‑resistant tended to have poor optical properties. Therefore, as there was a need for considerable improvement in the plastics, the vast majority of smartphone manufacturers relied on glass for the front panels of their phones. MCC‑developed Durabio is a bio‑ based engineering plastic made from plant‑derived isosorbide, which features excellent performance as it offers higher resistance to impact, heat, and weather than conventional engineering plastics. In addition, it has excellent transparency and low optical distortion. Conventional Polycarbonate is crack‑ resistant but not scratch resistant, whereas PMMA is scratch resistant but not crack‑resistant. Durabio is both scratch resistant and crack‑resistant and it has no yellowing (aging) effect, like conventional plastics This application shows that this bioplastic offers superior performance characteristics for a durable application in addition to its renewable source. www.m‑kagaku.co.jp
A. Schulman Castellon (Spain)
A novel bioresin for compostable flexible tubes in cosmetics A. Schulman, together with the consortium of companies formed by Germaine de Capuccini, Petroplast, and the Ainia‑Aimplas alliance, has successfully developed the first biodegradable flexible tube for cosmetic products. In particular, the A. Schulman’s R&D team suceeded in finding the appropriate compostable material to replace conventional polyethylene in flexible packaging tubes for cosmetics. The new bioresin is a reinforced biopolymers alloy, obtained by reactive extrusion, which can be particularly processed into a tube using conventional extrusion blow moulding equipment. The new bioresin was produced by reactive extrusion using a blend of commercially available biopolymers in A. Schulman compounding facilities. This mainly includes PLA, PBAT, PHAs, and PBS. Twin‑screw extrusion was the methodology to prepare the bioresin as it represents an ideal compounding strategy for the preparation of polymer blends, since it delivers more mixing and dispersion energy than is provided by conventional single‑screw extruders. The new biodegradable packaging meets the main requirements of the materials frequently used in flexible tubes manufactured for the cosmetic industry: Presents sufficient flexibility to facili‑ tate product dosage (squeeze tubes). Preserves the properties of beauty products for over two years Offers chemical resistance and com‑ patibility with the packaged product Can be processed by extrusion blow molding (tube) and injection molding (caps) Sealing stability over time and suit‑ able for printing www.aschulman.com
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Fibers & Textiles
Efficiency boost in PLA fibre recycling www.erema.at
T
hanks to the new INTAREMA® plant gen‑ eration launched by EREMA (Ansfelden, Austria) in 2013, bioplastics can now be re‑ cycled far more efficiently than before. The pro‑ cessing benefits with fibres are particularly no‑ table. These are due above all to the innovative technologies of the preconditioning unit and the new Counter Current core technology. Fibres offer a large surface area for dirt and moisture to adhere to – PLA fibres in particular are hygroscopic and extremely sensitive to moisture. In order to protect PLA from hydrolytic degradation in the course of mechanical recycling, moisture has to be removed early on – ideally prior to extrusion. This takes place in the preconditioning unit of the new Intarema systems where the material is cut, homogenised, degassed, heated, dried and additionally compacted. Due to the low specific weight the compacting is particularly important so the extruder can subsequently be fed continuously. Dr. Gerold Breuer, Erema Head of Marketing & Business Development explains: The multi functional treatment in our recycling system is so effective that the cut and dried PLA fibres can be melted, filtered and then pelletised in the extruder with minimal shear stress. We know from rheological measurements of recycled materials that the valuable polymer structure is retained and there is no viscosity degradation.
Figure 1: The newly developed Counter Current core technology of the INTAREMA® generation offers major benefits for temperaturesensitive plastics such as PLA
Figure 2: W ith Counter Current technology capacity remains at a constantly high level over a much broader temperature range With Counter Current technology
Throughput
PATENTED
Without Counter Current technology
Temperature inside Preconditioning Unit
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The newly developed Counter Current core technology of the Intarema generation offers benefits for temperature-sensitive plastics such as PLA. Counter Current shows its strengths in the border area between the preconditioning unit and tangentially connected extruder. Inside the preconditioning unit the rotation of the rotor disc which is equipped with tools forms a rotating spout so that the material is circulating the whole time (fig. 1). In the Counter Current system this material spout – unlike the previous technical standard – moves against the direction of the extruder. As a result, the relative speed of the material in the intake zone, i. e. when passing from the preconditioning unit to the extruder, increases to such an extent that the extruder screw acts in the same way as a cutting edge which now cuts the plastic. The result of this inverse tangential configuration: the extruder handles more material in a shorter time. Thanks to this improved material intake, capacity is not only increased, it also stays at a constantly high level (fig. 2) over a much broader temperature range. The operation range for optimum system capacity has thus been extended considerably. In addition to this there is also greater flexibility in the selection of the optimum operation point. This is of particular advantage when processing very (temperature-) sensitive materials and especially very light materials with low energy content such as PLA fibres or thin packaging films.
Fibers & Textiles
QMilk fibres close to market launch
Q
MILK fibre is a 100 % natural and renewable textile fibre made of nonmarketable milk and produced using an eco-friendly process. The textile fibre is multifunctional, antibacterial, compostable and flame retardant. Qmilk fibre has a natural, silk-like quality and very good color absorbency. Founded in 2011, Qmilch GmbH (Hanover, Germany) now boasts 20 employees who work in a two-shift system; the company operates a production line with an annual capacity of 1,000 tonnes. Now getting ready to enter the market with the first fibres the initial focus will be in the technical sector, followed by the clothing and home textile industry. As Qmilk fibres are made from casein, they are characterized by their protein composition. Casein is similar to sheep wool in its structure. However, unlike in wool keratin, there are no sulfate bridges. Just like wool, Qmilk fibres have a better thermal insulation capacity than cellulose fibres. “It is quite important to have knowledge of the general chemical properties and possibilities for implementation to understand the mode of reaction and behavior of Qmilk fibres,” says Anke Domaske, founder and CEO of Qmilch.
Fibres exiting the dies
Casein is a globular protein and consists — in addition to aminodicarboxylic acids — of diaminocarboxylic acids and cystine. Hence casein exhibits (in analogy to keratin) amphoteric properties and can bind acids and bases to form salts. Even if Qmilk fibres are made from regenerated proteins, they are not regenerated protein fibres, simply because the proteins were not present in the form of fibres and can therefore not be regenerated from fibres. In fact, the proteins are formed into fibres only after they have been dissolved, in the course of which their initial morphology is destroyed. Qmilk is not a thermoplastic, but belongs structurally to the thermosets. This means no fixed melting point of the material can be detected. Therefore, it shows a high fire protection classification (B1-B2, DIN 4102-1 and DIN 75200) and is not electrostatic. The molecular weights are found in a range from several thousand to several million units. No spin finishing needs to be applied during manufacturing. In comparison to cellulose fibres, Qmilk fibres are highly alkali sensitive, yet with a greater acid resistance. The fibre can therefore be readily stained with wool dyes in the acidic range. Qmilk fibres are easily dyeable in the spinning process, as well as yarn and piece dyed. The fibres can be used in textile fibre blends, as well as in 100 % Qmilk textiles. The colour crystals of the milk protein casein provide exceptional colour brilliance. Spun-dyed processes in particular offer high colour strengths, because the pigment is incorporated directly into the polymer matrix.
Staple fibres
The fibres are getting texturised
Qmilk uses a side stream of the food industry. About 2 million tonnes of milk are annually discarded in Germany alone (worldwide about 100 million tonnes) because they do not meet the legal requirements as a food. The CO2 emitted during the production of this non-food milk is bound, as the milk is further processed into a high quality raw material. The feedstock is abundant: now that the European milk quota legislation (1984 until March 2015) has been abolished, the production of milk – including all unavoidable byproducts or waste streams – continues to rise. Qmilk can be produced from contaminated milk products, process water in the dairy industry or expired milk. MT www.qmilk.eu
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Fibers & Textiles
Improved PLA twines for horticulture support
F
or the growth of a large number of crops in horti‑ culture support is used in the form of wires. These so called twines support the fruit and vegetable plants and should be able to carry a fully grown plant. Normally polypropylene twines are used in horticulture. A considerable disadvantage of polypropylene twines is the waste management after the harvest. The remain‑ ing of the plant including the polypropylene twines is discarded as waste; however, due to the mixed char‑ acter it is impossible to qualify this waste as compost. Therefore, it is treated as normal waste and is inciner‑ ated or collected and transported to a landfill. Separat‑ ing the twines from the plant waste is often too time consuming and therefore expensive.
The development of a compostable twine which can replace polypropylene twines is challenging. The twine should have enough tenacity for a period up to 12 months. Moreover, the twine should survive a high relative humidity, temperatures above 50 °C and should not be susceptible to preliminary degradation. Twines that are used outside should withstand direct sunlight (UV) as well.
The incentive to develop a compostable twine is 2-fold:
The most challenging task was to develop a PLA twine without the creep behavior. Applied Polymer Innovations API (Emmen, The Netherlands) succeeded in this task. The customized melt spin process, is therefore patent pending. In the graph below the results of a stress test are shown: the newly developed GreenTwine performs 3 times better than other PLA based twines.
PLA is the most suitable raw material from an economic and technical point of view: it is relatively cheap, compostable and UV stable. However, PLA suffers from creep behavior: at a tension below break level it will elongate until a premature break occurs. This creep behavior is more pronounced at elevated temperatures and at higher relative humidities.
It is cheaper for the grower to dispose his waste, separation is not necessary. Plant waste and twines can be collected and composted, i. e., less landfill/incineration.
GreenTwine is currently in the pilot phase and field tests in the USA, Mexico, Canada, Israel, Finland and The Netherlands are in progress. The twine is tested on peppers, eggplants, cucumber and tomatoes. After evaluation of the field tests Applied Polymer Innovations will launch the product on the market. MT
There are already biodegradable alternatives available in the form of natural fibers (jute, sisal, flax, hemp); however, these twines tend to degrade too fast and loose their strength during cultivation and are therefore not suitable for the growth of all crops.
api-institute.com
Figure 1: G reenTwine with improved properties as compared to conventional types.
Figure 2: Field test; GreenTwine as a support for tomatoes
100 90
Standard PLA yarn
80 GreenTwine
Creep (%)
70 60 50 40 30
Commercially available PLA based twine
20 10 0
0
5
10 Time (h)
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Fibers & Textiles
World’s first piezoelectric fabrics for wearable devices
K
ansai University (Osaka, Japan) and Teijin Limited (head‑ quartered in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan) announced earlier this year that Professor Yoshiro Tajitsu, Faculty of Engi‑ neering Science, Kansai University, and Teijin have developed the world’s first polylactic acid (PLA) fiber- and carbon-fiberbased piezoelectric fabrics. The new piezoelectric fabrics combine Teijin’s polymer and textile technologies – a Teijin growth strategy to integrate key existing materials and businesses – with Prof. Tajitsu’s worldleading knowledge of piezoelectric materials. Development was supervised by Prof. Tajitsu at Kansai University, with technological cooperation provided by the Industrial Technology Center of Fukui Prefecture. The fabrics comprise a piezoelectric poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and carbon fiber electrode. Plain, twill and satin weave versions were produced for different applications: plain weave detects bending, satin weave detects twisting, and twill weave detects shear and three-dimensional motion, as well as bending and twisting.
contains lead, applications are being increasingly limited by the EU directive that restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a well-known piezoelectric polymer. However, it is limited to use in sensors and such, and it is not suited to industrial-level manufacturing because it requires poling treatment and exhibits pyroelectricity. In 2012, Kansai University and Teijin developed a flexible, transparent piezoelectric film by alternately laminating PLLA and optical isomer poly-D-lactic acid (PDLA). The all-new wearable piezoelectric fabric announced in January is the newest application of this technology. MT www.teijin.com www.kansai-u.ac.jp/English/
CAD data can immediately reflect the folding of a piezoelectric fabric.
New piezoelectric fabrics (from left: plain weave, twill weave and satin weave)
The sensing function, which can detect arbitrary displacement or directional changes, incorporates Teijin’s weaving and knitting technologies. The function allows fabric to be applied to the actuator or sensor to detect complicated movements, even three-dimensional movements. Kansai University and Teijin introduced the new piezoelectric fabric at the 1st Wearable Expo (Tokyo, January 2015). Kansai University and Teijin will continue working on ideal weaves and knits for fabric applications that enable elaborate human actions to be monitored simply via clothing worn by people. Such applications are expected to contribute to the evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) in fields ranging from elderly care to surgery, artisanal techniques to space exploration, and many others. Piezoelectricity is the ability of certain dielectric materials to generate an electric charge in response to mechanical stress. It also has the opposite effect – the application of electric voltage produces mechanical strain in the materials. Both of these effects can be measured, making piezoelectric materials effective for both sensors and actuators. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) has practical piezoelectric applications in industry, but as a ceramic material it lacks transparency and flexibility. In addition, because PZT
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Fibers & Textiles
New biobased fibres for automotive interior applications
T
he automotive sector currently generates large vol‑ umes of solid waste, particularly at the end of the vehicle’s life. By replacing different (petroleum‑ based) plastic textile components by more environmen‑ tally friendly solutions, the industry is trying to reduce its environmental impact as well as to add new, value‑adding functionalities to new products. In this context, the BIOFIBROCAR project (funded within the scope of the 7th European Framework Programme) was initiated to explore the feasibility of substituting the polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP) fibres currently applied in car interiors, by PLA‑based fibres. The duration of the project, which was successfully completed in June 2015, was 30 months. Nine partners (four research institutions: Aimplas, Aitex, STFI and ITA, and five SMEs: Addcomp Holland, Avanzare Innovación Tecnológica, Perchados Textiles, Weyermann and Canatura) from three different countries (Spain, Germany and the Netherlands) made up the project consortium.
Requirements and limitations in the automotive industry An average car uses approximately 40 to 50 m2 of fabric, which weighs an estimated 9 to 10 kg. Textile fibres are incorporated into many components, including tires, seat belts, hoses, interior panels, upholstery, sandwich panels for passive safety and impact absorption, composites and many others. According to different studies, the typical composition of a car by material is approximately 65 % steel, 6 % aluminium, 10 % plastic, 6 % rubber and 13 % other materials, such as glass or fibres, which yield too much waste. One of the solutions proposed by the project to reduce the quantity of waste or improve the recyclability of the different components has been the substitution of different polyester/polypropylene woven and non‑woven fabrics found in a vehicle interior, by novel PLA‑based fibres developed using melt spinning techniques.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27.
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Sun roofs Roofs Folding roofs Sun blinds Fuel filters Column guards Transmission tunnels Batteries Belts and hoses Composites Air bags Seat belt anchors Seat belts Boot lining Boot flooring Exhaust pipes Tyres Roof interiors Bodywork Seats Upholstery Insulation Window frames Doors Filters Fuel tanks Floor mats
PA 6
PS
PET
ABS
PP
PE-HD
Cellulose derivatives
Starch blends
PLA blends
PLA
PHF
Biopolyester
PCL
7 6 5 4 3 2
ABS
PET
PS
PA 6
ABS
PET
PS
PA 6
ABS
PET
PS
PA 6
PE-HD PE-HD
PP
PE-HD
Cellulose derivatives Cellulose derivatives
PP
Cellulose derivatives
Starch blends Starch blends
PP
PLA blends PLA blends PLA blends
Starch blends
PLA PLA PLA
PHF PHF PHF
Biopolyester
0
Biopolyester
1
Biopolyester
The main limitation of conventional PLA is its thermal resistance; PLA softens at a temperature of around 52 °C, which limits its use in applications that require temperature resistance under pressure and conditions of environmental and chemical stress. The interior temperature in modern cars can easily exceed 80 °C on hot summer days.
8
PCL
PLA has good characteristics, many of them comparable or even better than those of conventional plastics derived from petroleum, which it makes suitable for a variety of uses. In comparison to PET and PP, which are the fibres mostly used at the moment in car interiors, PLA fibre meets almost all performance specifications of this application.
PCL
AIMPLAS (Technological Institute of Plastics) Paterna, Spain
260 250 220 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20
PCL
Amparo Verdú Solís Extrusion Department Researcher
Modulus (GPa)
By:
Melting temperature (°C)
Fibers & Textiles
Project development and results
The PLA blend formulation and the processing conditions were key factors that determined the performance of the materials, since it has been proven that crystallization of PLA plays a very important role in the thermal resistance of this material. It proved possible to increase the softening temperature from 57 °C to 102 °C, without compromising the viscosity of the material, which could then be processed by extrusion melt spinning in order to obtain the fibers. These fibers were succesfuly converted into fabrics and non-woven samples in order to obtain a final prototype of a moulded door panel. Two non-woven layers and a woven fabric were combined into a composite consisting of 100% bio-based material. www.biofibrocar.aitex.es www.aimplas.es
90 Tensile strength (MPa)
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
200 180 160 Vicat (°C)
Throughout the project, different approaches were followed in the quest to achieve a material with the desired properties. Aimplas, with Addcomp and Avanzare contribution, developed a compound that is able to fulfill the requirements for automotive interior applications, including such aspects as thermal resistance, fogging, odour emissions, VOCs and antimicrobial resistance.
140 120 100 80 60 40
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From Science & Research
How much bio is in there? By:
Can stable isotopes be used to determine the bio-based content of products?
Lambertus van den Broek, Maarten van der Zee Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research Grishja van der Veer RIKILT Wageningen UR Wageningen, The Netherlands
R
esource supply and environmental aspects are con‑ sidered to be of increasing importance to industrial production. Products like building blocks, inter‑ mediates, materials and chemicals based on renewable resources can contribute to both economically and eco‑ logically efficient solutions. Therefore, it is of interest to determine and communicate information on the content of biomass resources of an individual product. Currently, the bio-based content of products is usually determined on the basis of the quantification of 14C carbon (radiocar‑ bon dating). This is based on the radio-active decay of 14C, which can be used to estimate the age of organic mate‑ rials up to roughly 60,000 years. Radiocarbon dating for estimating the bio-based content is based on the near ab‑ sence of 14C in fossil-based materials such as oil and gas, whereas bio-based materials contain modern concentra‑ tions of 14C. These methods focus on carbon, and con‑ sequently only determine the bio-based carbon content, thereby neglecting the fact that bio-based products also contain large quantities of other elements, like oxygen, ni‑ trogen and hydrogen. Consequently, measured bio-based carbon content can deviate significantly (higher as well as lower) from the actual biomass content (table 1).
values between -13 and -11 ‰, whereas synthetic ethanol has delta values varying between -32 and -25 ‰. Although no stable isotope based methods have been used for determination of the bio-based content of products so far, the potential to use stable isotope analysis for this purpose attracted the attention of standardisation committee CEN/ TC 411 and was evaluated in detail in the framework of the KBBPPS project1.
Stable isotopes Isotopes have the same number of protons and electrons but have different numbers of neutrons. Therefore, isotopes of the same element have the same atomic number but different masses. Hydrogen for example has three isotopes, two of which are stable and one which is unstable (radio-active) (figure 1). To determine the bio-based content the focus is on the stable isotopes of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, which together with sulphur make up the bulk of organic material. Fortunately all these elements have at least two stable isotopes and this allows to determine their respective ratios in a material or product. The stable isotope composition is often expressed as a ratio of the heavier isotope to the lighter which is then expressed relative to the ratio in some defined reference material with known isotope composition. The isotope ratios are quoted as delta (δ) values and reported in units of per mill (‰). If a sample has more of the heavier isotope than the reference material it is considered enriched (positive δ-value). If the sample has less of the heavier isotope compared to the reference material it is depleted and has a negative δ-value.
Stable isotope approach Previous studies have hinted towards the potential application of stable isotope analysis as an additional means to determine the bio-based content of materials and products. This relies on the observation that the stable isotope composition of some bio-based materials and products is on average different from that of their fossil-based analogues. For example, the carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) reported for bio-ethanol from maize has delta
Table 1: Examples of differences in bio-based carbon content and biomass content of specific products.
18
Bio-based carbon content (%)
Biomass content (%)
Plastic composite: 70 % PE / 30 % cellulose
18
30
‘Plant based’ PET
20
31
PVC based on bioethylene
100
43
Cellulose triacetate (oil based acetic acid)
50
55
Coating (with bio-based resin)
76
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Figure 1: I sotopes of hydrogen: protium (1H), deuterium (2H) and tritium (3H).
e
Protium
Deuterium
P
P n e
P Proton
Tritium
P e
n Neutron e Electron
n n
From Science & Research Stable isotope composition The stable isotope composition of organic materials and compounds on Earth is variable and depends on the initial composition of source materials/compounds as well as different fractionation processes that takes place during formation. For example, the stable hydrogen and oxygen composition of plants and algae, as well as the compounds produced by these organisms, is related to the isotopic composition of source water as well as fractionation that occurs during evaporation and biosynthesis. The isotopic composition of the source water is again related to the isotopic composition of local precipitation, which follows a global pattern of successive depletion from the equator to the poles (illustrated in figure 2). For carbon and nitrogen similar type of processes cause a considerable variation in the δ13C and δ15N composition of organisms and compounds hereof. Transformation of biogenic matter to organic matter in sediments (e. g. coal or crude oil) involves further isotope fractionation. This means that the isotopic composition of a particular material or product depends on the source, type, and geographical origin of the (biomass) feedstock, and the applied processing technologies.
Vapour = -15 %
Vapour = -13 %
1. The average isotopic composition of the bio-based fraction should be different from the average isotopic composition of the fossil-based fraction.
←Low latitudes & altitudes + coastal Ocean = ~0 ‰
To determine whether, and up to what extent these requirements can be met in practice, an inventory was made of the natural range of variation of the stable isotope composition of various major groups of organisms such as plants and algae, including their main constituents like carbohydrates, lipids and proteins.
High latitudes & altitudes + inland→
Continent
Figure 2: S implified example of the effect of successive rain-out which causes a successive depletion of δ18O values in precipitation (and consequently in biomass of plants taking up this water) from the equator to higher latitudes and inland.
Figure 3: I ndicative ranges of δ2H values in different materials and compound classes (bio-based and fossil-based). The ranges in grey boxes are indicative world-wide estimates, ranges in solid black lines are indicative ranges based on limited data sets with limited geographical coverage, and ranges in dotted black lines are incomplete ranges based on limited data sets and assumptions. C3-cellulose C4-cellulose Polyisoprenoid lipids
n-Alkyl lipids
Olive oil
Palm oil Bacterial methane
Coal Crude oil Crude oil saturates Crude oil aromatics Bulk C12-C27 n-alkanes Thermogenic methane -400
-360
-320
-280
-240
-200
-160
-120
-80
-40
0
δ2H VSMOW (‰)
Figure 4: I ndicative ranges of δ13C values in different materials and compound classes (bio-based as well as fossil-based). Ranges in grey boxes are generally accepted ranges (C3- and C4-plants) or indicative world-wide estimates, ranges in solid black lines are indicative ranges based on limited data set with limited geographical coverage or on a data set with limited geographical coverage, ranges in dotted black lines are incomplete ranges based on the generally accepted values for C3- and C4-plants and assumptions.
2. The isotopic composition of the biobased and the fossil-based fraction should be known with sufficient precision and the range of variation in both fractions should be limited. 3. The range of variation in the isotopic composition of the bio-based fraction should not overlap with that of the fossil-based fraction.
Precipitation = -5 ‰
Precipitation = -3 ‰
Evaporation
Requirements To successfully apply stable isotopes for determining the bio-based content of materials and products, the following requirements should be met:
Vapour = -17 %
C3-plants Lipids
C4-plants
Carbohydrates Proteins Sea gras Marine algea Fresh water and marine phytoplankton
Bacterial methane Coal Crude oil Thermogenic methane Ethane
-108
-104
-100
-48
Propane Butane -44
-40
-36
-32
-28
-24
-20
-16
-12
-8
-4
0
δ13C VPDB (‰)
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From Science & Research In addition, fossil residues of living matter such as crude oil, natural gas and coals were also taken into account. As an example, a summary of the stable isotope ratio ranges of δ2H and δ13C values for these material and compound classes are shown in figure 3 and 4, respectively. In general it was found that the range of variation of the isotopic composition of living matter and its major constituents shows a considerable overlap with the range of variation observed in materials of fossil origin such as coal and oil (e. g. figure 3 and 4). Only C4-plants, especially their carbohydrates and proteins, are less depleted with regard to their δ13C composition than raw materials of fossil origin (figure 4). The photosynthetic pathway of C4-plants (e. g. maize, sugar cane) differs from that of the common C3-plants (e. g. sugar beet, potato, grain).
Conclusions Based on an extensive literature overview of the δ2H, δ13C, δ N and δ18O values of bio-based as well as fossil-based and fossil energy-based materials and compounds, it is shown that stable isotope ratios of these elements are in general not suitable for determining the bio-based content of products1. This is due to the large range of variation observed in the isotopic composition of these materials 15
Microplastic in the environMent Sources, Impacts & Solutions ber 2015 23 - 24 Novem any ologne, Germ C s, u a h s u rn Mate
and compounds, leading to large uncertainties in the estimate of the bio-based content. Moreover, information about the isotopic composition of many relevant materials and compounds is currently lacking. The stable isotope approach could therefore only be feasible in specific cases provided that manufacturers would manage to tightly control the isotopic composition of their raw materials. In addition more data about the isotopic composition of materials and compounds should come available.
This research was carried out within the KBBPPS project (“Knowledge Based Bio-based Products’ PreStandardization”, see also www.kbbpps.eu) and has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement No. 312060.
1
www.kbbpps.eu www.wageningenUR.nl/en/fbr
The microplastic conference will: • Identify sources of microplastics and quantify the amount ending up in nature • Reveal impacts on marine ecosystems and human beings • Propose solutions for current problems, such as prevention, recycling and substitution with biodegradable plastics & other materials The conference will provide plenty of scope for discussion between producers, consumers, scientists, environmental organisations, governmental agencies and other interested stakeholders.
Your Contact: Dominik Vogt Conference Management +49 (0)2233 4814 - 49 dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de nova-Institut GmbH Chemiepark Knapsack Industriestr. 300 50354 Huerth, Germany
+++ More than 200 participants expected +++ +++ Free exhibition booths for participants +++ 20
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
www.microplastic-conference.eu
Polylactic Acid Uhde Inventa-Fischer has expanded its product portfolio to include the innovative stateof-the-art PLAneo ® process. The feedstock for our PLA process is lactic acid, which can be produced from local agricultural products containing starch or sugar. The application range of PLA is similar to that of polymers based on fossil resources as its physical properties can be tailored to meet packaging, textile and other requirements. Think. Invest. Earn.
Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH Holzhauser Strasse 157–159 13509 Berlin Germany Tel. +49 30 43 567 5 Fax +49 30 43 567 699 Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG Via Innovativa 31 7013 Domat/Ems Switzerland Tel. +41 81 632 63 11 Fax +41 81 632 74 03 marketing@uhde-inventa-fischer.com www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com
Uhde Inventa-Fischer
Materials
Key milestone for commercial PHA production
T
erraVerdae BioWorks, an industrial biotechnol‑ ogy company developing advanced bioplastics and environmentally sustainable biomaterials, has an‑ nounced that it has successfully achieved key milestones for the economic, commercial production for its line of PHA-based biomaterials. These include 10,000-liter production runs of the firm’s line of biodegradable, natural microspheres for use in personal care and cosmetic products, as a direct replacement for synthetic, non-degradable plastic microbeads. TerraVerdae BioWorks has facilities located in Canada and the UK and collaborates with a range of leading commercial, technology, and research organizations
in Canada, UK, and USA. The company has developed a carbon-neutral bioprocess that uses bacteria to produce a range of high-value products, including a PHA biopolymer that the bacteria naturally produce as a carbon storage reserve. TerraVerdae draws on its specialized expertise in metabolic engineering, industrial bioprocess optimization/ scale up and biopolymer development – including proprietary genetic, protein expression and bioprocessing capability- to develop and manufacture high-value performance biomaterials and biocomposites from waste. Now, supported by a grant from Innovate UK, and in collaboration with researchers at facilities in the UK’s Centre for Process Innovation, the company has successfully scaled-up its biodegradable and biocompatible materials technology from laboratory pilot scale to 10,000+ liter capabilities, validating process scale up and production economics for commercial deployment. “Developing the technologies needed to produce commercial scale quantities of our biomaterial products in an economic and efficient process is a milestone for the company, and potentially the industry,” said William Bardosh, CEO and founder of TerraVerdae BioWorks. “Our first product developed using this technology, biodegradable and biocompatible microspheres to replace synthetic microbeads in personal care products, addresses a strong global need to remove plastic contamination from water supplies.” “Innovate UK is excited to fund this ambitious and complex project that achieved its final goal of running a large-scale fermentation at the High Value Manufacturing Catapult’s National Industrial Biotechnology Facility,” said Merlin Goldman, Lead Technologist – High Value Manufacturing at Innovate UK. “TerraVerdae produced significant quantities of purified PHA material for product testing with partners and other potential customers. We hope to see the company complete its ambition of building a biorefinery facility in the north-east of the UK.”
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Materials “We are also fortunate to have collaborated on this technology with the UK’s Centre for Process Innovation,” continued Bardosh. “They are one of the world’s leading facilities for process innovation in the industrial bioprocess arena and their support has been invaluable.”
TerraVerdae’s newly developed natural microspheres are a PHA‑based biomaterial produced using a non‑GMO, non-toxic, plant-associated process. TerraVerdae’s microspheres are intrinsically biocompatible and meet industry standards for biodegradation in a marine environment. TerraVerdae can produce microspheres in a range of sizes, in both smooth and coarse finishes, that feature high optical clarity and the mechanical characteristics to meet all requirements for cosmetic formulations. In addition to microspheres, other targeted application areas for TerraVerdae’s PHA include the biomedical industry, films for specialty coating and active packaging, automotive parts and electronic devices, to name but a few. KL
“The project with TerraVerdae has been a great opportunity for us to collaborate with a pioneer in the industry,” said Pete Carney, Business Development Manager at The Centre for Process Innovation. “CPI has used its bioprocessing scale up expertise to take the process from lab scale to commercialization.’’ A key advantage of the technology developed by TerraVerdae is that it uses non-food based feedstocks, such as green methanol, derived from municipal and agricultural waste, and stranded biogenic methane, produced by municipal landfills, agricultural waste and by the oil and gas industry as feedstocks for its bioprocess. It therefore neither impacts the food supply nor raises land use issues, while offering significant life cycle and carbon footprint improvements over traditional processes for petroleum-derived materials. According to the company, its process could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 800,000 tonnes and mitigate over 450 tonnes of carbon monoxide, 65 tonnes of non-methane volatile organic compounds, and 135,000 tonnes of methane per year.
www.terraverdae.com www.innovateuk.org www.uk-cpi.com
Info Videoclip: http://bit.ly/1JUe5W7
organized by
supported by
20. - 22.10.2016
Bioplastics in Packaging
Messe Düsseldorf, Germany
BIOPLASTICS BUSINESS BREAKFAST
B
3
PLA, an Innovative Bioplastic Bioplastics in Durable Applications Subject to changes
At the World‘s biggest trade show on plastics and rubber: K‘2016 in Düsseldorf bioplastics will certainly play an important role again.
Call for Papers now open www.bioplastics-breakfast.com Contact: Dr. Michael Thielen (info@bioplastics-magazine.com)
On three days during the show from Oct 20 - 22, 2016 (!) bioplastics MAGAZINE will host a Bioplastics Business Breakfast: From 8 am to 12 noon the delegates get the chance to listen and discuss highclass presentations and benefit from a unique networking opportunity. The trade fair opens at 10 am. bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
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Material news
Flexible foams with algae
Coffee Based
Algix LLC (Meridian, Mississippi, USA), the world’s leading producer of algae bio-products, and Effekt LLC (San Diego, California, USA), an environmentally minded product and material development company, recently announced the creation of the world’s first flexible foams using algae derived products as a filler.
3D Printer
“Flexible foams have been overwhelmingly made out of nonrenewable petrochemicals for decades,” says Rob Falken, Effekt’s and Bloom Holding’s Managing Director. “Over the past year we’ve worked really hard to create a suitable algae biomass alternative that doesn’t compromise performance and that delivers tried–and– true characteristics for all sorts of demanding applications” he continued.
Filament Filament manufacturer 3Dom USA has released a new bio-material made from coffee. Called Wound Up™, the filament is a continuing partnership with Fargo, North Dakota based bio-composite company, c2renew.
The foam is produced in a patented process that utilizes Algix’s dried algae biomass (GMO-free) which is solely collected from waste streams across the US and Asia. Algal blooms have become prevalent worldwide due to a rise in global temperatures and a subsequent increase in water temperatures. They’ve also been impacted by increased human population growth and from activities like overfishing, which have increased nutrient loading in waterways. The algae biomass is first collected in custom built mobile harvesting platforms. A harvester is deployed to ponds or lakes where it converts the green water into an algae dense slurry. From there the slurry is dewatered and tertiary thermal drying is employed. Once sufficiently dried, the algae biomass is ready for compounding (in amounts of 15 – 60 %) with a base resin (such as PVA, PE, TPE etc.) into pellets before it is eventually expanded into a flexible foam with additional foaming compounds. As a feedstock, algae biomass is a non-food resource, requiring no pesticides to grow and is found in abundance globally. This ensures a consistent and stable raw material supply for years to come. “We are literally turning a negative into a positive,” stated Falken. Utilizing an examined approach, Bloom Holdings LLC (a JV of both companies) has already secured an independent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the flexible foams, as well as numerous certificates of environmental validation. The brand name for this new flexible foam is aptly called BLOOM™. Manufacturing will commence in early 2016 in both the US and Asia. Several ideal applications for Bloom foam are footwear, yoga mats, sporting goods, and toys just to name a few. MT www.bloomfoam.com · www.algix.com · www.effektchange.com
The material is made using waste byproducts from coffee. Wound Up uses those coffee leftovers to create a special 3D printing material with visibly unique print finishes. The filament produces products with a rich brown color and a noticeable natural grain. Now a cup printed with Wound Up is a true “coffee cup.” This is the first in a line of intriguing materials from 3Dom USA called the c2renew Composites. More distinctive bio-based products will be released in the near future. Wound Up filament can be printed on any machine capable of printing with PLA and comes perfectly spooled on the 100 % biobased Eco-Spool™. Beautifully packed and vacuum-sealed to keep moisture out. Each spool of Wound Up has the diameter and ovality metrics posted right on the box, so you know that tolerances are tight. MT www.3domusa.com
Info Videoclip: http://bit.ly/1OrjKr3
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Material news
New biobased polyol for 2K polyurethanes BASF has announced that it has added a new product to its range of bio-based polyols, sold under the Sovermol trademark. These products are used for manufacturing extremely low-emission 2K polyurethane coatings for interior and exterior applications. The newest member of the Sovermol portfolio – Sovermol 830 – is targeted at indoor floorings, e. g. in industrial warehouses or sports halls, providing excellent hardening and mechanical characteristics even under difficult conditions. As
Due to a specific chemical modification, the complex polyether-ester polyol has excellent water-repellent properties. It exhibits excellent curing properties, even in challenging curing environments with high humidity and temperature. Due to its high filling levels and low processing viscosity, Sovermol 830 helps to lower the overall cost of a formulation. In addition, the shore D hardness of this thermoplastic material exceeds 60. Despite the extended processing time of Sovermol 830, the material can be walked on after one day only, which ensures shorter downtimes and, consequently, lower costs. The polyol can be used in coatings for industrial floorings, coatings exposed to potable water and semi-structural adhesives. Apart from its excellent abrasion and impact resistance, the product shows outstanding flexibility even at low temperatures, which prevents cracks from spreading in the substrate. It is therefore the ideal solution for durable coatings.
the resin is produced from renewable raw material (castor oil with a renewable content of more than 90 %) and contains no volatile organic compounds (VOC), it greatly contributes to the production of more sustainable coatings with particularly high levels of stability and durability.
BASF offers coatings producers appropriate highperformance additives that can be combined with Sovermol 830. In addition, the company’s portfolio comprises suitable cross-linkers and co-binders that enable customers to achieve the required mechanical properties.KL www.basf.com
PLA production using alternative energies and no metal catalyst Reflecting the ongoing growing demand for more sustainable solutions, production capacities for bioplastics are also expanding in order to keep pace with market developments. Currently, however, metal-containing catalysts are needed to improve the polymerisation rate of lactones, posing a potential hazard to health and the environment.
overcome in InnoREX: the project will use the rapid response time of microwaves, ultrasound and laser light to achieve a precisely-controlled and efficient continuous polymerisation of high molecular weight PLA in a twin screw extruder. Significant energy savings will be achieved by combining polymerisation, compounding and shaping in one production step.
The Plastics Technology Center, AIMPLAS (Valencia, Spain), along with eleven other enterprises and technological European centres, has launched the InnoREX project, which is being financed by the 7th Framework Program funds and coordinated by the German Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology - ICT.
The project also includes a detailed analysis of the packaging life cycle. The prototype obtained as a result will be a single thinwalled monolayer packaging (wall thicknesses of a millimetre or less) intended for the food sector, processed through injection or extrusion to obtain a thermoforming and film packaging to be used when lower wall thicknesses are required.
This ambitious project seeks to develop a new technology to improve the homogeneity of PLA and to find an alternative to the use of the metallic catalysts that have been necessary until now. Moreover, the new process being studied within the scope of the project is expected to yield energy savings; an additional goal is the development of a single monolayer packaging able to be processed using both extrusion and injection moulding technology.
The role of AIMPLAS within the project is mainly related to the study of processability (injection and extrusion) of developed PLA grades. Mechanical, physical and thermal characterisation of prepared packages by injection moulding, and extrusion cast-sheet and thermoforming. It will also include an extensive development of additivation strategies.
To ensure short market entry times, commercially wellestablished co-rotating twin screw extruders will be used as reaction vessels. The reason commercial polymerisations are not yet carried out in twin screw extruders is the short residence time and the static energy input of the extruder, which allows no dynamic control of the reaction. These obstacles will be
The project, which started in December 2012, will run until May 2016. In addition, Aimplas will organize on October 20th a workshop at their premises, addressed to suppliers of raw materials, end users, researcher centres and universities and it will be focused on the project main objectives and its developments. www.aimplas.net · www.innorex.eu
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Materials
PHA 3D printing filaments
W
ith the explosive growth of the global 3D printing industry, a new market for plastic materials has opened up. In fact, it is estimated that by 2020, there will be over 115,000 tonnes of plastics used by 3D printers worldwide. However, a considerable proportion will never make it into a product, but will be consigned to the waste heap known as failed prints. The question is, where will all the plastic come from? And more impor‑ tantly, where will it end up?
Greenhouse gas
Hydrogen
An Austrian start‑up called Saphium Biotechnology (Kapfenstein, Austria) thinks that it has come up with the answer. The company, formed by a group of friends who met the University of Graz is developing a new type of 3D printer filament, called “PHAbulous Philaments”. According to the Saphium Biotechnology team, PHAbulous Philaments are all‑natural and compostable 3D printing filaments, which, unlike many others on the market, contain no toxic additives and are manufactured with natural colors only. Compostability certification (according to EN 13432) will be applied for soon.
Flexible
As the name suggests, the new filament is made of a bioplastic belonging to the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) family. PHAs are biopolyesters that are produced and stockpiled by microbes as an energy storage material. This material can be harvested from the bacteria producing it and processed into pellets – and now, apparently, also into filament. By adjusting the conditions under which the bacteria are cultivated, it is possible to optimize the PHA produced by the bacteria for the production of 3D printing filament. PHAbulous Philaments stands as one of the first generations of pure PHA filaments on the market.
Rigid
Since PHAs are biological in origin, they can also be completely broken down by microorganisms in the environment. According to the company, their filament will degrade within 60 days when buried in soil, without leaving a trace. “Consumers will no longer have to throw their flawed prints into the bin any more, but we expect that they will be able to dispose of them in their compost pile,” as Christof Winkler‑Hermaden, CSO of Saphium explained to bioplastics MAGAZINE. “The microorganisms in the compost will digest the plastic and the resulting humic substances will fertilize the soil.
CO2 emissions
Compost heap
Microb Micr obe e Cycle Cycl e of PHAbulous PHAbul ous Philaments
O O
Poly(3HB) Pol y(3HB)
Polyhydr Pol yhydro yhydr oxyalkanoates (PHA)
3D Printing Printin
PHAbulou PHAbul ous Philaments
26
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Yet while the biodegradability of PHA is a major plus point, especially in the light of the fight against plastic waste, just as important is the fact that their production is biological and based on renewable resources. The bacteria, which are grown in large steel fermentation tanks, are fed on hydrogen that is produced by electrolysis using the energy of solar panels and carbon dioxide. “The carbon dioxide is a waste product of industry,” Christof
Materials
explained. “Big industries have to pay to emit their carbon dioxide emissions into the air, but we can take them cheaply and convert them into bioplastics.” Saphium developed a simple and cost effective way to extract and purify PHA. “We have established a microbe strain that secretes those PHAs into the surrounding culture media, where we can collect it easily,” said Christof Winkler-Hermaden. “Once the PHA leaves the microbes, it is perfectly fit for use.” And because the material degrades back into carbon dioxide, the production process is carbon neutral. The PHA used to make the new filaments has other advantages as well, says Saphium Biotechnology. Water and UV resistant, its mechanical properties are comparable to those of polypropylene. The material offers a lower melting temperature (145 – 150 °C) and, due to a glass transition temperature under 0 °C, flexibility. After launching the first prototypical PHAbulous Philament samples on a test market, the Saphium aims to develop filaments with different properties ranging from flexible to rigid, in order be able to provide materials for every 3D printing application. As CEO Reinmar Eggers recently explained it in an interview with Simon Cocking of Irish Tech News: “Right now the earth’s oceans and ecosystems are being destroyed every single day with all the plastic waste we produce. We can’t turn back time and we can’t abolish plastics since they are an important part of everyday life, but Saphium can make them non-toxic and compostable.” KL/MT www.saphium.eu
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Materials
New LCA NatureWorks and Thinkstep adhere to ISO standards for revision of Ingeo eco profile
I
n the first update of the Ingeo eco profile since 2010, Nature‑ Works partnered with Thinkstep (PE INTERNATIONAL) and followed ISO 14040 and 14044 standards to ensure accurate calculations. Subsequently, NatureWorks submitted a paper on the revised eco profile for peer review. The paper, “Life Cy‑ cle Inventory and Impact Assessment Data for 2014 Ingeo™ Polylactide Production,” was recently published in Indus‑ trial Biotechnology magazine (and can be downloaded from bit.ly/1FcKPv4).
“The peer reviewed paper provides a detailed description of the different steps in the Ingeo production chain and how the final data were calculated,” said Erwin T. H. Vink, Environmental Affairs Manager, NatureWorks. The article documents the energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) inputs and outputs of the Ingeo PLA production system, the revised eco‑profile, and the calculation and evaluation of a comprehensive set of environmental indicators. The paper also addresses other topics such as land use, land use change, and water use. While the Ingeo manufacturing process remains the same since the last calculation of the profile, the life cycle assessment (LCA) software modeling tools have changed and now provide extensively broadened LCA databases and datasets. With this new data, a more up‑to‑date and accurate picture of GHG emissions, energy consumption, and other commonly used indicators in an LCA can be drawn. NatureWorks based the update on Thinkstep´s GaBi6.3 modeling software. Thinkstep subsequently reviewed the methodology used and determined that the LCA process was scientifically and technically valid and consistent with ISO 14040 and 14044 standards for conducting LCAs.
Figure 1: Production greenhouse gas emissions including biogenic carbon uptake
The charts compare the GHG emissions (including biogenic carbon uptake in the case of Ingeo) for Ingeo manufacture with the emissions resulting from the manufacture of a number of different polymers produced in the USA and Europe using the latest available industry assessments for each as well as non‑renewable energy consumption for those polymers. The numbers represent the totals for the first part of the life cycle of the polymers, starting with fossil or renewable feedstock production up to and including the final polymerization step.
Primary energy of non‑renewable resources To help brand owners and researchers directly use this life cycle assessment data, NatureWorks has developed and made available on their website an in‑depth analysis of environmental benefits calculation, which provides extensive background and links to additional sources of information. NatureWorks has also developed an online calculator for comparing the net GHG emissions and the nonrenewable energy use of products made with different plastic types. The online calculator provides an intuitive interface from which manufacturers and brands can input product data details and receive instantaneous feedback on the environmental impact of the materials they are using1. MT www.natureworksllc.com 1
The tool provides a good qualitative insight into how two polymers compare. For a definite, quantitative comparison, the LCA tool should be applied to compare finished products made from those polymers.
Figure 2: Primary energy of non‑renewable resources
US producers EU producers
0.62
Ingeo PLA
Cradle‑to‑gate greenhouse gas emissions
Ingeo PLA
58.97 55.50
PVC
GPPS
3.24 2.25
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2 kg CO2 eq./kg polymer
82.26
HIPS
3
95.05
86.43
96.05 104.69
ABS
3.81 3.80 0
78.20 70.15 69.00
PET
ABS
28
HDPE
2.15
GPPS
83.50 81.50
LDPE 2.73
PET
75.90 77.10
PP
1.86 1.63
PP
US producers EU producers
40.20
PC 4
103.90
0
20
40
60 MJ/kg polymer
80
100
120
Materials
Tomorrow is NOW! 30
First day
days
60 days
120 days
180 days
Bioplastic for Paper Coating Naturally Compost . Recycle
Excellent Heat sealability
Heat resistance up to
100 C
Runs well with LDPE machine
*This test was conducted under natural condition in Bangkok, Thailand.
Paper packaging coated with BioPBS™ can be disposed of along with organic waste. It is compostable without requiring a composting facility, and it has no adverse effects on the environment. BioPBS™ is revolutionary in its two-fold bio properties. Being essentially bio-based, BioPBS excels in biodegradability and compostability, providing green non-process changing solution to achieve better results in your manufacturing needs. Environmentally friendly, printable without pre-treatment and heat resistant while retaining the same material quality and machine processing speed as conventional materials. BioPBS improves the quality of your product while causing no harm to the environment. BioPBS is the long awaited ideal material for product containers and packaging. BioPBS™ coated paper is recyclable and repulpable at 96% yield certified by Western Michigan University.
For more information info@pttmcc.com www.pttmcc.com PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd. A Joint Venture Company of PTT and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation 555/2 Energy Complex Tower, Building B, 14th Floor, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
T: +66 (0) 2 140 3555 I F: +66(0) 2 140 3556 I www.pttmcc.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
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Application News
Biodegradable
Undulae bioplastic lamps
fishing lures
Designed by Architect Taeg Nishimoto from San Antonio, Texas, USA, Undulae is a series of table and pendant lamps made of cornstarch-based bioplastic tubes. Using the characteristics of shrinking and undulating when the bioplastic is in the drying process, the formal manipulation is left for each tube to form itself. There are two types of the application of this bioplastic tubes as a lighting fixture. One is a table lamp that uses the singular tube standing upright above a disk that contains the light bulb. The other is a pendant lamp that hangs multiple tubes from a disk above that contains the light bulb at the center. Bioplastic is made from the mixture of cornstarch, water, vinegar and glycerin with particular proportion and mixing process. The color at the edge of tubes is applied through adding a food colorant to the bioplastic mix. The bioplastic mixture is spread on a sheet of parchment paper with another sheet on top to make a sandwiched unit. This unit is held with two pipes along the longitudinal edges another inside which keep the drying unit in place by gravity.
MHG (Bainbridge, Georgia, USA) recently announced the presentation of the first ever certified biodegradable freshwater fishing lure at a tradeshow in Orlando. The fishing lure is being produced by the company Bill Lewis Lures, the maker of Rat-L-Trap™. “Fishing is a seventy three billion dollar industry and the freshwater division makes up 80 % of it,” remarked Paul Pereira, CEO of MHG. “Partnering with Rat-L-Trap to make these popular lures in a biodegradable form is a big step in reducing plastic pollution produced by the fishing industry.” In addition to performance, there has been positive feedback regarding the pilot production of the PHA Rat-L-Traps, including its ability to weld together better than the traditional plastic that’s been used. There have been no known production complications to date. “The PHA has a lot of potential and I am very excited about what we’ve seen so far,” stated Wes Higgins, President of Bill Lewis Lures, “I’m honored to have our name associated with research that could lead to conservation of our fishing resources.” MT www.mhgbio.com
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When the bioplastic is left to dry, the bioplastic’s nature of shrinking creates a condition on parchment paper with a crease pattern in one direction, which in turn becomes the texture of the surface of bioplastic tubes. The longitudinal sides that are exposed to the air also create unique undulating pattern along the edges while drying. MT www.cargocollective.com/taegnishimoto/Undulae
Application News
Packs for children’s health
Nonwoven PLA
products
floor polishing
A conscientious South African company KiddieKix, who produce all‑natural children’s health products, found NatureFlex™ the best solution to wrap its cereals and dried fruit snacks.
pads
From their facilities in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, Alison McDowell, KiddieKix founder and her team continue to research the latest trends in children’s health and nutrition, to ensure their range delivers products that have been specifically developed with the needs of growing children in mind. Sourcing high quality ingredients that are also free from additives and preservatives is a top priority.
Treleoni, Manning, South Carolina, USA, designs and manufactures cleaning and polishing pads for industrial floor cleaning machines and hand wipes for industrial cleaning services. The newest addition to the company’s product inventory is the Provito (For Life) line of polishing pads made entirely with Ingeo™ nonwoven PLA fibers. These burnishing pads are used to enhance the gloss of softer floor finishes.
McDowell states, “At KiddieKix our aim is take care of our children’s future, which means creating an entirely eco‑sustainable product, including the packaging. We sampled many compostable materials for our inner packaging and nothing compared to NatureFlex. In terms of feel, quality, strength, durability and barrier protection NatureFlex came out streets ahead of any other product.” The use of NatureFlex flexible packaging film ensures that KiddieKix’s product philosophy is strengthened because it matches the company’s core messages. These films are certified compostable and made from renewable resources. They also offer a host of advantages for packing and converting such as high seal strength and integrity, excellent gas, aroma, UV light and mineral oil barrier, grease and chemical resistance, dead fold and anti‑static properties, enhanced printing and conversion. Peter van Belle, Innovia Films’ Sales Account Manager explained, “We are delighted that we were able to assist KiddieKix in meeting their packaging aspirations while enhancing shelf life and reducing waste.”MT www.innoviafilms.com www.kiddiekix.co.za
Innovia Films’ renewable and compostable NatureFlex packaging film has been chosen to wrap Kiddiekix all‑natural children’s health products.
Provito earned the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Biobased Product Certification label. The certification verifies that the amount of renewable biobased ingredients in the Ingeo‑based pads meets or exceeds levels set by the USDA. Biobased products are finished or intermediate materials composed in whole or in significant part of agricultural, forest, or marine ingredients. This certification means that Provito burnishing floor pads will be given preference in many U.S. government purchasing decisions. Provito pads have been nominated for the 2015 International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) Innovation Award. MT www.treleoni.com www.natureworksllc.com
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Report
3D printing – the sophisticated way By: Sander Strijbos Helian Polymers Venlo, The Netherlands
A
dditive technologies appear to be here to stay. In recent years, 3D printing has become a daily staple of news publications around the world. Creating objects by building up successive layers of molten plastics, a fraction of a millimeter at a time, has captured the imagination of hobbyists, designers, architects and prototypers every‑ where. In discussions about 3D printing, a recurring topic is that of the dearth of materials that are available for use. Currently, the two commodities that tend to be most frequently used in 3D printing filament are ABS and PLA. It was this latter material, a well-known biopolyester, that opened the door for a company called Helian Polymers to enter the world of 3D printing. Founded in 2011 by Ruud Rouleaux as a sister company of the trading company Peter Holland BV, Helian Polymers is located in Venlo, The Netherlands. The focus of the new company was on innovative projects related to (bio)plastics and additives, one of the first of which became 3D printing. After becoming intrigued by a self-built Ultimaker 3D printer around Christmas 2011, Rouleaux bought a small extrusion machine in 2012. An expert in bioplastics, he wondered why PLA was used so often, in the light of its comparably poor functional properties. And not content with the general consensus that “it prints well”, Rouleaux, who was not one to shy away from a challenge, set out to find a better solution. By early 2013, and after much trial and error, Rouleaux had come up with an ideal blend of two bioplastics: PLA and PHA. A stroke of luck was that, as the owner of a trading company specializing in masterbatches and additives, he also had ready access to a wide pallete of colors for his new filament material, which he therefore opted from the very beginning to market in almost 30 colors – an almost unheard of range. In February 2013, the colorFabb brand of 3D printing filament was born. After the initial launch at the RapidPro trade show in Veldhoven
Bicycle-Components 3D-printed with carbon fibre reinforced XT-CF20 filament (non-bio co-polyester)
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Report (the Netherlands), the webshop went live in March. The first resellers, thirsty for something new, signed up in April and by May, the single extrusion line was already at full capacity – and has been ever since. In hindsight, 2013 was a pilot year for the new brand, during which the webshop grew, lessons were learned and the number of employees doubled to six. That first year, too, colorFabb attended the 3D Print Show in November in London where a new grade of wood filament based on the company’s proprietary PLA/PHA compound was showcased. Branded as woodFill, the filament is made with actual wood fibers, giving printed objects the texture and smell of wood and an old-school DIY look. It was an immediate success, and colorFabb understood that the future of 3D printing filaments was in special filaments. “The best way to predict the future is to invent it”, as Ruud Rouleaux put it. As colorFabb went from strength to strength, meanwhile expanding and relocating to the Blue Innovation Center in Venlo, it also signed a joint development agreement with Eastman Chemical company, under which the company would develop filaments based on the co-polyesters made by the US chemical giant. This resulted, in September 2014, in the launch of colorFabb XT, made with Eastman Amphora 3D Polymer, a more functional material for desktop 3D printing.
and dimensional stability to prints and for construction parts. As proof of concept, an intern at colorFabb has even printed bicycle parts with this material. With in-house bioplastics expertise and all capabilities under one roof to develop and test materials of every kind on different brands of 3D printers, colorFabb is fast fulfilling its mission to bring innovative and unique materials to the market – and the possibilities for the future are sheer endless. Moreover, the close cooperation with material partners FKuR and Eastman, combined with the flexible and highly dedicated colorFabb team enable colorFabb, to bring a new product to market sometimes in a matter of mere weeks. In fact, at any given time, several materials are in various stages of testing at colorFabb’s print lab, as colorFabb continues to innovate with more and more materials. At Helian Polymers new developments are in the works regarding bioplastics. More on that in the next issue of this magazine. www.colorfabb.com www.fkur.com www.witcombv.nl www.eastman.com/3d
In the eyes of the 3D printing community, however, color Fabb’s most spectacular product had been released a few months earlier, in May 2014. Called bronzeFill, it is a PLA/ PHA based composite 3D printing filament with 80 % (by weight) bronze particles and was launched to great acclaim at the Fabcon trade fair in Erfurt, Germany. What sets bronzeFill apart is the fact that objects can be post-processed – polished, tumbled etc. – to bring out the true bronze qualities of the material. Appearance, weight and feel are all that of a real bronze object – at a fraction of the cost. As compounding PLA/PHA with specially-sourced bronze particles requires very specific skills and processes, colorFabb sought out and partnered with Witcom BV, a Dutch specialist in engineering plastics compounds whose expertise has long proven invaluable for colorFabb’s specialty filaments. The collaboration has yielded an innovative suite of products for FDM printing, including bronzeFill. Since then, colorFabb has further expanded its offerings to include bambooFill, which is pre-compounded by Willich, Germany-based bioplastics producer FKuR, and copperFill, a new metal filament composed of 20 % PLA/PHA material and 80 % micronized copper particles, that, like bronzeFill, can be sanded and polished after printing. These were soon followed by the release of yet another metal-filled PLA/ PHA-based material, called brassFill, the most complex filament to date in terms of processing and printing.
brassFill – post-processed and polished
While these specialty filaments were mainly decorative in nature, meanwhile, colorFabb has also delivered on the side of functionality. Earlier this year, the company released its XT-CF20 filament, a new product compounded by Witcom on the basis of Eastman’s Amphora 3D Polymer with 20 % carbon fiber, to add stiffness, functionality
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Report
A “Made in Europe” biorefinery
M
atrìca, a 50:50 joint venture between Novamont and Versalis (Eni), is the result of the reconversion of a petrochemical site in Porto Torres (Sardinia) into an integrated biorefinery that today, using innovative and low-impact processes, produces a range of chemical products (biochemicals, building blocks for bioplastics, bases for lubricants, bioadditives for rubbers and plasti‑ cizers for polymers) from agricultural raw materials and vegetable scraps.
The new site is one of the most innovative integrated biorefineries of its kind. Using vegetable European renewable resources as feedstock, the site is currently iproducing Azelaic Acid, a C9 dicarboxylic acid, and Pelargonic Acid, a C9 monocarboxylic acid, at industrial scale. As well, other minor streams, like a C5-C9 blend. The production of this new site aims at the world market of biochemicals. This sector is forecast to exhibit growth of 17 % a year, with production estimated at up to 8.1 million tons in 2015 (Source: Lux Research Study, September 2010). The project, which started in 2012, will ultimately represent a total investment of approximately 180 million EUR, including the construction of various plants, of which the first three just recently have come on on-stream. The production site covers a total area of about 27 hectares. Matrìca produces various products, including monomers for bioplastics, additives for lubricants, plasticizers for PVC and ingredients for cosmetics, based on Novamont’s research and technology, all obtained from renewable sources. Plasticizers have been and still are a key raw material for different polymers.
Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI), the public/private partnership between the European Union and a consortium of bio-based industries (BIC, Bio-based Industries Consortium), recently allocated a 17 million EUR grant to the project FIRST2RUN, coordinated by Novamont, with Matrìca as the key partner.
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The FIRST2RUN project is aimed at demonstrating the technical, economic and environmental sustainability of today’s highly innovative, integrated biorefineries. The project involves the extraction of vegetable oils from low input oilseed cultures, such as thistle, and their conversion into bio-monomers (primarily pelargonic and azelaic acids) and esters for the formulation of bioproducts such as biolubricants, cosmetics, plasticisers and bio-plastics. By-products resulting from these manufacturing processes will be further enhanced to obtain animal feed, other value-added chemicals and energy in order to increase the sustainability of the value chain. Standardisation, certification and dissemination will be integral aspects of the project, as well as a study into the social impact of products deriving from renewable resources. Matrìca is merely the first example of industrial development to have successfully been brought to such a positive result. More projects are meant to follow, based on various innovative technologies, such as the production of 1.4 BDO derived directly from sugar, through a fermentation process. The project shows that the added value behind the use of renewable raw materials in terms of investments, job creation and industrial reconversion is not based on the unique use of agricultural nonfood crops for energy purposes, but is especially generated in the area of intermediates, chemicals and specialties. This is no news, though it has already been experienced with the traditional petrochemical industry. www.matrica.it
By: Stefano Facco New Business Development Director Novamont SpA Novara, Italy
Barrier
Barrier… but also bio-based and thermoformable!
L
ike its precursor Wheylayer®, the barrier biomaterial featured in a past issue of this publication [1], Ther‑ moWhey is a barrier coating based on whey protein. As a by-product of cheese manufacturing, whey is availa‑ ble in abundance, which means there is no direct competi‑ tion with food resources. Wheylayer [2] offers an excellent barrier against oxygen. Although it has the potential to replace current synthetic barrier layers, such as ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers – EVOH – used in food packag‑ ing, it is mainly aimed at plastic laminates (e. g. pouches, tubes, lids, etc.). While it is able to be thermoformed, as demonstrated by the production of blisters, this is limited to a small stretch ratio unless performed right after the coating application. Indeed, upon storage, the flexibility and thermoformability of the coating decreases due to the formation of different new intermolecular interactions in the protein network [3]. Thermoforming is one of the dominant and growing technologies in the packaging market. However, the limited thermoformability of Wheylayer may well have stood in the way of certain applications, such as trays, for which there is an actual need. Indeed, despite having existed on the market for years, bio-based trays do not meet the barrier properties required for sensitive food products (e.g. for products packed in modified atmosphere – MAP). Therefore, selected partners from Spain (IRIS, Serviplast) and Germany (Fraunhofer IVV, MLANG), who had participated in the previous project, decided to work together with a tooling company (GEBA) to improve the long term thermoformability of whey protein-coated packaging, with an ultimate goal the production of jars, cups, etc. To this end, during the first year of the Thermowhey project [4], the researchers performed different modifications of the whey proteins and adjusted the coating formulation to obtain materials with a more thermoplastic-like behavior, i. e. displaying both stable processability and
By: Elodie Bugnicourt Group Leader EcoMaterials Innovació i Recerca Industrial i Sostenible (IRIS) Castelldefels, Spain
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barrier properties versus storage time. After this had been successfully carried out, different deep trays were produced under optimized processing conditions from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) to which the Thermowhey coating was applied. Further tests will be performed on bioplastic substrates. Over the next year, the production of the material will be industrialized by the participating SMEs and resulting packaging will also be validated in contact with selected food products. The ThermoWhey project is expected to have a very positive impact on the environment, as it solves multiple challenges: finding a new commercial use for a cheese byproduct that is currently discarded, replacing petroleumbased plastics with natural biopolymers that allow packaging recycling or composting while safeguarding their performance. The author wishes to acknowledge the European Community‘s Seventh Framework Programme for Research, technological development and demonstration for co-funding the Thermowhey project under the Manunet programme through the Catalan Agency ACCIÓ (grant agreement RDNET 13-3-005) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (managed by the KIT Project Management Agency Karlsruhe). www.thermowhey.eu References: [1] E. Bugnicourt, M. Schmid, “Films with excellent barrier properties”, bioplastics MAGAZINE; Vol. 8, p44; 2013. [2] For more info, see www.wheylayer.eu [3] M. Schmid, K. Reichert, F. Hammann, A. Stäbler; Storage timedependent alteration of molecular interaction - property relationships of whey protein isolate-based films and coatings; Journal of materials science, 50(12), June 2015, pp. 4396 – 4404 [4] For more info, see www.thermowhey.eu
Market study on Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers in the World
Capacities, Production and Applications: Status Quo and Trends towards 2020
Fast Growth Predicted for Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers in the World – Production Capacity will triple towards 2020 The new comprehensive 500 page-market study and trend reports on “Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers in the World – Capacities, Production and Applications: Status Quo and Trends Towards 2020” has been released by German nova-Institut GmbH. Authors are experts from the nova-Institute in cooperation with ten renowned international experts.
million t/a
Bio-based polymers: Evolution of worldwide production capacities from 2011 to 2020 20
15
http://bio-based.eu/markets
actual data 10
Constant Growth of Bio-based Polymers is expected: Production capacity will triple from 5.1 million tonnes in 2013 to 17 million tonnes in 2020, representing a 2% share of polymer production in 2013 and 4% in 2020. Bio-based drop-in PET and the new polymers PLA and PHA show the fastest rates of market growth. The biobased polymer turnover was about € 10 billion worldwide in 2013. Europe looses considerable shares in total production to Asia.
What makes this report unique?
forecast 2% of total polymer capacity
5
2011
©
2012
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Epoxies
2013
PUR
CA
PET
PTT
PEF
EPDM
PE
PBS
PBAT
PA
PHA
Starch Blends
PLA
-Institut.eu | 2015
2019
2020
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/markets
■ The 500 page-market study contains over 200 tables
and figures, 96 company profiles and 11 exclusive trend reports written by international experts. ■ These market data on bio-based building blocks and polymers are the main source of the European Bioplastics market data. ■ In addition to market data, the report offers a complete and in-depth overview of the bio-based economy, from policy to standards & norms, from brand strategies to environmental assessment and many more. ■ A comprehensive short version (24 pages) is available for free at http://bio-based.eu/markets
To whom is the report addressed? ■ The whole polymer value chain: agro-industry,
feedstock suppliers, chemical industry (petro-based and bio-based), global consumer industries and brands owners ■ Investors ■ Associations and decision makers Two years after the first market study on bio-based polymers was released, Germany’s nova-Institute is publishing a complete update of the most comprehensive market study ever made. This update will expand the market study’s range, including bio-based building blocks as precursor of bio-based polymers. The nova-Institute carried out this study in collaboration with renowned international experts from the field of bio-based building blocks and polymers. The study investigates every kind of bio-based polymer and, for the first time, several major building blocks produced around the world, while also examining in detail 112 companies that produce biobased polymers.
Content of the full report This 500 page-report presents the findings of nova-Institute’s market study, which is made up of three parts: “market data”, “trend reports” and “company profiles” and contains over 200 tables and figures. The “market data” section presents market data about total production capacities and the main application fields for selected biobased polymers worldwide (status quo in 2013, trends and investments towards 2020). This part not only covers bio-based polymers, but also investigates the current bio-based building block platforms. The “trend reports” section contains a total of eleven independent articles by leading
experts in the field of bio-based polymers. These trend reports cover in detail every important trend in the worldwide bio-based polymer market. The final “company profiles” section includes 96 company profiles with specific data including locations, bio-based polymers, feedstocks and production capacities (actual data for 2011 and 2013 and forecasts for 2020). The profiles also encompass basic information on the companies (joint ventures, partnerships, technology and bio-based products). A company index by polymers, with list of acronyms, follows.
Order the full report The full report can be ordered for 3,000 € plus VAT and the short version of the report can be downloaded for free at: www.bio-based.eu/markets
Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers in the World Capacities, Production and Applications: Status Quo and Trends towards 2020
PP
PE
EPDM
PVC PMMA PET-like
PC PHA PTT
Dipl.-Ing. Florence Aeschelmann +49 (0) 22 33 / 48 14-48 florence.aeschelmann@nova-institut.de
PA
THF
Glucose
Starch
Lysine
PBS
PEF
1,4 Butanediol Succinate
Adipic Acid
HMDA
PU
p-Xylene Isobutanol
1,3 Propanediol Lactic acid
PU
PBT
Teraphtalic acid
SBR Ethanol
Sorbitol
Isosorbide
PLA
Contact
Ethylene
Vinyl Chloride Methyl Metacrylate
PU
PET
MEG
Propylene
PBAT
Saccharose
Superabsorbent Polymers
3-HP
Lignocellulose Acrylic acid
Natural Rubber
Caprolactam
Plant oils
Fructose
Fatty acids
Glycerol
HMF FDCA
Epichlorohydrin Polyols
Natural Rubber Starch-based Polymers Lignin-based Polymers Cellulose-based Polymers Epoxy resins
Other Furan-based polymers
Diacids (Sebacic acid)
PHA PU
PU
PA
Florence Aeschelmann, Michael Carus, Wolfgang Baltus, Howard Blum, Rainer Busch, Dirk Carrez, Constance Ißbrücker, Harald Käb, Kristy-Barbara Lange, Jim Philp, Jan Ravenstijn, Hasso von Pogrell
Barrier
PLA and cellulose based film laminates
www.natureworksllc.com - www.innovia-films.com Conventional pack
l ia at er m w Ra
ia
l
t
Organic recycling (industrial) or incinerate
MVTR ~13 OTR <1
an l ia
l
MVTR ~1 OTR <1
er at m w Ra
ia er m w Incinerate or landfill
t
0.47 kg CO2eq/m2
rin
t
0 % RRM fossil derived
tp
at
rfo “Bio“ pack
18µm NKR/Adh/20µm NKME/Adh/25µm Evlon PLA
o Fo
rin
Ra
Pe
Pe
e lif
rfo
of
tp
Salted snacks
rm
an
d
rm
En
Conventional pack
o Fo
Nutritional bars
ce
MVTR ~11 OTR <1
ce
Incinerate or landfill
12µm PET/Adh/10µm Alu foil/Adh/25µm PE
Dry goods/breads
rin 0.3 kg CO2eq/m2
Lidding
(coffee/tea)
tp
t
Sachets
Dry beverages
o Fo
rin
Pouches
tp
88 % RRM verified sourcing
e lif
VFFS
o Fo 0.3 kg CO2eq/m2
of
HFFS
18µm NK/Adh/25µm Evlon PLA
0 % RRM fossil derived
d
Stick pack
“Bio“ pack
12µm PET/Adh/50µm PE
En
Compared to all other package formats, flexible packaging is a sustainable solution. For example, just over the past 20 years, packaged retail coffee has evolved from glass to steel to rigid plastic and now flexible laminations. Comparatively, each step throughout the package evolution has resulted in a more sustainable product than the predecessor. By focusing on “what’s next?” in the evolution of flexible materials, Innovia and NatureWorks designed materials that address the two major downsides of using flexible laminates, namely
The next generation of flexible packaging is here. Innovia Films and NatureWorks, along with their development partners, have succeeded in developing individual materials, when combined, make a sustainable packaging solution for brands and converters. By meeting the package requirements, having renewable content and an alternate end-of-life, the next generation of flexible packaging is here and addresses the “What’s next?” question for flexible laminates. MT
at er
Package functionality is paramount. In many cases, these newly developed structures would be replacing traditional, petro-chemical derived materials that meet the fit for use requirements for the product packaged. The bio-laminations needed to meet the key criteria of appearance, barrier and sealability. NatureFlex film from Innovia meets barrier criteria while Evlon film from Bi-Ax International incorporates an Ingeo sealant layer. During the design phase of the collaboration, two very common flexible structures were identified as candidates to compare bio-laminate alternatives. The first incumbent structure is a widely used secondary package across multiple segments and package formats; 12 µm PET/ Adh/46 µm PE. The other candidate went to the other side of the spectrum with a high barrier foil lamination; 12 µm PET/ Adh/7 µm Alu /Adh/46 µm PE.
Advancements in processing within manufacturing of the base materials has greatly reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in packaging. Petro-chemical laminates are already at a very low base compared to rigid packaging but bio-laminations allow to reduce these levels even further, especially as the scale and adoption of renewable materials are commercialized.
m
By focusing on the functional attributes of each individual film, along with the combination of the materials, Innovia and NatureWorks, in concert with their collaborative partners Bi-Ax International, H. B. Fuller and Clemson University, developed one of a kind bio-laminations that not only meet the functional requirements of packaged products, but also address renewable content, end of life for flexible materials and reduce the amount of carbon in the overall package.
w
Potential Application with NatureFlex & Ingeo
renewable content and end-of-life. Comparatively, the petrochemical derived materials have zero renewable content, which essentially means that these materials are using 100 % finite fossil resources as the primary raw material. Conversely, the flexible laminates designed by the collaboration of NatureWorks and Innovia have very-high renewable carbon. Additionally these bio-laminations provide an alternative and valuable end of life option. Beyond just landfill which is the principal final resting place of mixed-material, flexible laminates in many countries, these bio-laminates offer up the prospect of carbon-neutral incineration with renewable energy recovery and they are also designed to decompose in Industrial Composting facilities where such facilities exist. Each film used in the construction has been fully certified (ASTM D 6400) by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) for compostability.
Ra
N
atureWorks and Innovia Films have collaborated to de‑ velop the next big step forward in sustainable multilayer film materials. By combining the complimentary technologies of their bio-materials, they have created a biobased commercially compostable packaging structure that can be used across a wide range of packaging and lidding formats. When laminated, the high-barrier properties of cel‑ lulose based NatureFlex™ combined with Ingeo™ PLA make for a truly high-performance packaging film.
86 % RRM verified sourcing
0.47 kg CO2eq/m2
Industrial organic recycling or incinerate
MVTR ~2.5 OTR <1
an ce rm
rm rfo
ife
l of
Pe
d
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
En
38
ife
Recommended Evaluation needed Not applicable
l of
Liquid applications
d
En
Pet food/treats
rfo
cheese
Pe
Cultured dairy/
an ce
Confections
Barrier
By: Warwick Armstrong General Manager Business Development and Marketing Plantic Technologies Altona, Victoria, Australia
Renewable material with superior barrier performance
A
s part of the Kuraray group (headquartered in Chi‑ yoda, Prefecture Tokio, Japan) the world leader in barrier materials, Plantic Technologies Ltd (Altona, Victoria, Australia) brings to the barrier technology family naturally sourced, environmentally beneficial bio-plastics. PLANTIC™ is a generation of packaging materials devel‑ oped by Plantic Technologies. The products are certified by Vincotte as 3 star rated biobased materials corresponding to 60 % to 80 % renewably resourced materials. A unique high barrier material, Plantic combines a number of features and unique properties to deliver an outstanding packaging material for extending the shelf life of fresh products such as meat, chicken, fish & seafood, small goods, fresh pasta and cheese. The unique features of Plantic include: High renewable content Outstanding gas barrier performance Excellent barrier to taint and odour Sealable to most currently used top lidding Enhanced hot tack and seal strength Excellent surface gloss Independent studies have confirmed the exceptional barrier performance of this material by extending the shelf life of fresh meat products by 15 – 40 %. Used by some of the world’s leading processors and retailers Plantic has already substituted conventional barrier materials in fresh packaging applications globally. Plantic grades include high barrier rigid, semi rigid and flexible materials for applications such as form fill & seal packaging, barrier preformed trays, vacuum skin packaging, stand up pouches and easy peel pack packaging applications for fresh food packaging markets. The grades are a multilayer structure comprising a core layer of Plantic biopolymer – which is certified as biodegradable and compostable. The outer layers provide moisture protective skins, and these can be produced with bio-based or petrochemical plastics, including 100 % biobased polyethylene derived from sugar cane. Plantic is manufactured using state of the art laminating technology whereby thin layers of plastics, such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate are coated to a core layer of renewably sourced, high barrier Plantic sheet. The Plantic core provides exceptional gas barrier, with the skin layers providing moisture/water vapour barrier properties to the structure. The barrier sheet can be thermoformed into trays using industry
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standard equipment, including automatic form, fill, seal machines. Plantic have won numerous awards for innovative technology including the 2005/6 DuPont Australia and New Zealand Performance Materials and Chairman’s Award and the bronze winner of the PCA Sustainable Packaging Design Award. The key ingredient in Plantic is a non-genetically modified corn starch. This unique and patented technology means that Plantic material is created with 50 % less energy than that of the similar petrochemical plastics and combined with the benefit of plant based raw materials impart reduced environmental impacts.
What is Plantic? Plantic is unique as the world’s first truly renewable Ultra Barrier material. Plantic has extended the range of gas barrier materials to launch a new category of Ultra Barrier materials, materials with an Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) below 1.0 cm³/m2/day. The excellent barrier properties are unique to Plantic, and derived from a proprietary process which allows the natural occurring polymer in starch to be used as a packaging material. Starch is a naturally occurring polysaccharide used as an energy store in green plants. Larger amounts of starch are particularly found in cereal crops (such as corn, wheat and rice) and also tubers (such as potato and cassava). The polymer component of starch is comprised of a linear polymer known as amylose and a highly branched polymer amylopectin. The starch used in Plantic has a very high proportion of amylose (>70 %), which gives it similar processing and properties to Poly PET (polyethylene terephthalate).
Exceptional Barrier Performance. Plantic offers exceptional barrier performance, superior to that available with conventional barrier resins, including PVDC, MXD6 and EVOH. Table 1 presents a comparison of the Oxygen Barrier performance of a number of conventional polymers with Plantic. Figure 1 shows the effect of changes in environmental Relative Humidity on the gas barrier properties of commercial barrier films. Similar to the other hydrophilic polymers shown here, Plantic film will absorb moisture from the external environment, which causes a decrease in the barrier performance.
Barrier
The barrier performance of Plantic is even better at lower temperatures, as shown in figure 3. There is a factor of 3 decrease in the OTR at 50 % RH as the temperature is reduced from 20 °C to 5 °C. This is an important factor in the extended shelf life of fresh meat and poultry stored under refrigerated conditions.
100.0 OTR [cm3·25µ/m2·day·atm]
The rate of moisture absorption in Plantic is controlled and limited due to the water resistance of the barrier skin materials. Independent tests have shown that the barrier performance remains below instrument detection limits (typically 0.05 cm³/m2/day) for more than 7 days. Figure 2 demonstrates this for a Plantic sample, equilibrated at 75 % RH, and then exposed to 90 % RH. After 8 days there is no measurable change in the OTR, which remains below the instrument detection limit.
EVOH-32 % EVOH-44 % MXD6 Plantic
10.0
1.0
0.1
0
20
40
60
80
100
% RH
Figure 1: E ffect of relative humidity on oxygen transmission rate for a selection of commercial barrier polymers.
PLANTIC eco Plastic™ extends the shelf life of fresh food. Plantic have conducted a number of external trials at certified, independent laboratories to determine the actual shelf life of fresh meat, such as mince, chicken and fish compared to conventional polypropylene (PP) barrier trays currently used in the market. The same top web was used for all samples in both Plantic and PP trays.
The chicken packed in Plantic trays demonstrated a 40 % increase in shelf life and sausage meat packed in eco Plastic trays demonstrated 15 % increase in shelf life. Both products maintained their originally packaged colour (less browning due to oxidation) for longer in eco Plastic trays than those packed in PP trays. www.kuraray.co.jp/en www.plantic.com.au
0.05 Specimen A, 0.46 mm Specimen B, 0.47 mm
0.04 OTR cm3/m2/day
The results also indicated that samples packed in Plantic trays maintained the original colour for both chicken and sausage meat for longer than those packed in conventional PP trays. Shelf life extension was based on a combination of factors, including Total Plate Count, Coliform, pH, odour and colour assessment according to NATA regulations.
0.03 0.02 0.01 0 -0.01 -0.02
0
1
2
5 3 4 Days after RH change
6
7
8
Figure 2: E ffect of a change in external relative humidity from 75 % to 90 % on the barrier performance of Plantic. (Test Method: ASTM F1927-98: 23 °C (± 0.2 °C), RH as specified ± 3 %, Test gas 100 % Oxygen)
Table 1: Comparative barrier performance of packaging film materials. WVTR g/m²/day 25 µm, 38 °C, 90 % RH
LDPE
6,500
18
HDPE
2,300
6
PP
2,300
11
PLA
600
300
PVC
200
46
PET
40
20
Nylon 6
32
160
MXD6
2.0
80
PVDC
2.0
3
EVOH 44 %
1.0
20
EVOH 32 %
0.2
60
Plantic
0.5
150
Figure 3: E ffect of temperature on the barrier performance of Plantic. 1 OTR [cc·25µ/m2·day·atm]
OTR cm³/m²/day 25 µm, 23 °C, 50 % RH
Material
5 °C 10 °C 15 °C 20 °C
0.1
0.01
0
20
40 % RH
60
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Barrier
Cellulose‑based barrier solutions
S
electing the right barrier is the single most important requirement in packaging. Whether this is to oxygen, aroma, water, gas, UV, light, mineral oil or, depending on the product being packaged, “All of the Above”. Innovia Films’ has a range of cellulose‑based filmic barrier solutions for packaging to help keep products in premium condition. The barrier properties of these films can be tailored for different markets such as fresh produce, dried foods and confectionery. NatureFlex™ is a bioplastic film manufactured from FSC®/ PEFC™ certified wood pulp (cellulose). It is available in transparent, white, metallised and coloured varieties. The films are available in different thicknesses ranging from 19 to 45 microns. They can also be combined with additional grades of NatureFlex or with other bioplastic films to come up with a further optimised packaging solution – what we call Biolaminates. Traditional flexible packaging laminates, such as pouches, employ a kind of ABC principle: an outer printable layer for Appearance, typically a Polyester film a middle metallised Polyester or aluminium foil for Barrier and a strong, highly sealable layer on the inside for Containment, such as Polyethylene. There are now a number of similar constructions in the market using this principle the bio way; e. g. a transparent
By: Andy Sweetman Marketing Manager Packaging & Sustainability Innovia Films Wigton, Cumbria, UK
NatureFlex with a metallised NatureFlex and a starch, copolyester or PBS based film on the inside. These are being used for a range of high barrier need dry food applications Caffè Molinari SpA a leading Italian coffee company recently introduced a Bio™ range (see photo), which uses fully certified compostable packaging, and a unique new NatureFlex grade: The coffee pack is constructed using just two‑layers, comprising a white metallised high barrier NatureFlex outer layer which provides both the appearance and barrier functions in one film. This is then laminated to a biopolymer sealant inner layer, providing high seal strength and integrity. This innovative eco‑friendly integrated packaging system also includes an aroma protecting bio degassing‑valve, designed and patented by Goglio Plastic Division. The full pack construction with the valve complies with the EN13432 industrial composting norm and is certified to OK Compost’s composting standard by Vinçotte. Attilio Cecchi, Area Sales Manager Italy, Innovia Films stated “NatureFlex films are ideal for the coffee market as they fit well with concerns about sustainability and renewability. The environment continues to be a high priority in packaging and certified organic coffee products are a ‘good fit’ with more sustainable options. Innovia Films’ new high performance white metallised NatureFlex film is ideal for this application as it is based not only on renewable resources but also has excellent barrier properties – essential for keeping coffee in perfect condition.” www.innoviafilms.com
Caffe Molinari Packs How various filmic structures compare to provide barrier (Water Vapour Transmission Rate, WVTR @ 38°C, 90%RH) 500 450 400
g/m2/day
350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0
*NVS
*NVR
PLA
*NatureFlex
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*NE
PET STARCH *NK
BOPP
4th PLA World Congress 24 – 25 MAY 2016 MUNICH › GERMANY
PLA
is a versatile bioplastics raw material from renewable resources. It is being used for films and rigid packaging, for fibres in woven and non-woven applications. Automotive industry and consumer electronics are thoroughly investigating and even already applying PLA. New methods of polymerizing, compounding or blending of PLA have broadened the range of properties and thus the range of possible applications. That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE is now organizing the 4th PLA World Congress on:
24 – 25 May 2016 in Munich / Germany Experts from all involved fields will share their knowledge and contribute to a comprehensive overview of today‘s opportunities and challenges and discuss the possibilities, limitations and future prospects of PLA for all kind of applications. Like the three congresses the 4th PLA World Congress will also offer excellent networking opportunities for all delegates and speakers as well as exhibitors of the table-top exhibition.
The conference will comprise high class presentations on
Call for Papers
› Latest developments
bioplastics MAGAZINE invites all experts worldwide from material development, processing and application of PLA to submit proposals for papers on the latest developments and innovations.
› Market overview
Please send your proposal, including speaker details and a 300 word abstract to mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com.
› Additives / Colorants
The team of bioplastics MAGAZINE is looking forward to seeing you in Munich.
› Fibers, fabrics, textiles, nonwovens
› Online registration will be available soon.
Watch out for the Early–Bird discount as well as sponsoring opportunities at
www.pla-world-congress.com
organized by
› High temperature behaviour › Barrier issues
› Applications (film and rigid packaging, textile, automotive,electronics, toys, and many more)
› Reinforcements › End of life options (recycling,composting, incineration etc)
Barrier
Improvement of barrier properties on PLA-based packaging products By: Daniela Collin, Sabine Amberg-Schwab Fraunhofer-Institut für Silicatforschung Würzburg, Germany Victor Peinado, Berta Gonzalvo AITIIP Technological Centre Zaragoza, Spain
W
ithin the scope of the European Dibbiopack Pro‑ ject (7th European Framework Programme; Grant agreement no: 280676), one of the main aims was the development of biodegradable films with improved barrier coatings as well as the investigations concerning the barrier properties of the bulk package using nano‑ particles combined with the PLA material. This article is specially related to the development of barrier coatings on biodegradable PLA-based films.
The Project The focus of the Dibbiopack Project was the development of new biobased materials specially adapted to the development of a wide range of containers or packages (films made by biaxially oriented blow moulding, trays and jars developed by injection moulding and bottles performed by extrusion blow moulding technologies) and the improvement of the thermal, mechanical and barrier properties of these packages by nanotechnology such as innovative coatings. Another main objective was the operational integration of different intelligent technologies or smart devices to provide the packaging value chain with more information about the products and the processes, increase safety and quality of products within the supply chain and improve the shelf-life of the packaged products. The project includes the design, development, optimization and manufacturing of multifunctional smart packages, assuring compliance of environmental requirements by means of LCA and LCC analysis, managing nanotechnology risk within the whole packaging value chain, and finally, end user evaluation in different sectors as cosmetic, pharmaceutic and food industry.
The Partners 19 Partners form the consortium of Dibbiopack, which is headed by the Spanish AITIIP Technological Centre. Partners, which are dedicated to basic and applied research, are represented by institutes and universities such as Fraunhofer ISC, INSTM, TECOS or CNR to name a few. But also SMEs with research capabilities as Avanzare, Condensia Quimica, Archa or Plasma contribute with
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their knowledge to achieve the best biodegradable packaging possible to fit the needs of the end-user companies: Cosmetic, Help and Nutreco and, by extension, the possible needs of those markets regarding biobased packaging.
The Achievements By the month 40 of the project (the project duration is 48 months), several goals have been achieved: Optimized material formulations for nanoadditivated PLA, processing of these compositions by injection moulding and extrusion blow moulding, improved mechanical and barrier properties and processability than commercial grades. Improved barrier properties on films which are built up by means of plasma surface application and functional coatings based on hybrid polymers. These barrier hybrid polymers are now also biodegradable. Production processes were optimized at industrial level, with real demonstrators manufactured.
Biodegradable ORMOCER – bioORMOCERs To increase the barrier properties of the packaging films, such as lids and polymer covers, additional coatings can be applied. Of course, in a biodegradable packaging system, these coatings should be biodegradable themselves. The development of biodegradable barrier coatings was one of the main objectives of the Fraunhofer-Institute for Silicate Research (ISC) in Würzburg, Germany, which has been working with a material class called ORMOCER®s (registered trademark of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e. V., Munich) for more than 20 years. ORMOCERs are hybrid inorganic-organic polymers, which are synthesized via carefully controlled sol-gel reactions. The properties of these coating materials can be adjusted to the requirements of very specific applications, e. g. the coatings can have excellent
Barrier
barrier properties. Especially when combined with inorganic thin-films the resulting barrier properties on flexible polymer substrates are outstanding due to synergistic effects.
and PLASMA and bioORMOCER coating layers (testing conditions 23 °C, 100 % relative humidity). Comparative tests of this bioORMOCER layer setup on PET/ SiOx films (Ceramis from Amcor, cf. bM 03/2008 and bM 06/2012), PET film coated with SiOx layer by e-beam application) furthermore demonstrated oxygen barrier properties of 0.05 cm3·m-2·d-1·bar-1 (23 °C, 50 % relative humiditiy). These surface refined polymer films furthermore passed the biodegradation test according to DIN ISO 148851:2005.
Within the framework of the Dibbiopack Project, Fraunhofer ISC has started its development of new biodegradable ORMOCER, so-called bioORMOCER®s, which then can be added as a surface refinement of biodegradable polymer films to increase the water vapour and oxygen barrier properties.
In summary, a new material class, the bioORMOCERs, was developed within the DIBBIOPACK project. These novel functional coating materials can improve the properties of biodegradable polymer films. In this material concept, the rate of biodegradability can be further adjusted to meet the actual requirements in packaging solutions by the choice of biopolymer, the degree of functionalization and amount integrated within the polymer. Next to the barrier properties, additional features can be implemented within the bioORMOCERs such as antimicrobial characteristics or abrasion resistance.
The basic concept of this development is the combination of typical ORMOCER precursors with modified biopolymers, the covalent cross-linking of these materials by strong covalent chemical bonds and the formation of a new hybrid polymer coating material. In combination with inorganic sputtered layers, developed by the consortium partner PLASMA, excellent barrier properties were achieved for these new surface refined polymer films. In detail, the water vapour transmission rate of pure PLA polymer films (provided by the consortium partner Innovia), which originally was > 500 g·m-2·d-1 was decreased below 0.15 g·m-2·d-1 in a sandwich setup of PLA substrate
www.dibbiopack.eu
R1 R2
R2
Inorganic component
Hybrid polymer based on ORMOCER
Organic component
Modified biopolymer
bioORMOCER
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
45
Barrier
A multilayer cellulosic packa‑ ging with a bio‑based barrier
M
ultilayer cellulosic packaging systems for food or beverages generally consist of paper or board and a polyethylene layer that is included to provide the necessary water barrier properties. Packaging systems for wet and dry products requiring higher barrier prop‑ erties contain an additional aluminum foil layer, which extends the shelf life of the packed food. Cellulose is re‑ cycled at papermaking plants, which first grind and then repulp the recovered packaging material. A residual frac‑ tion, which can range from 30 % by weight for mate‑ rial in board‑based laminates and more for paper‑based laminates (making re‑ cycling of the latter impractical) is made up of aluminum and polyethylene, which can be used to injection mold low value applications. The cellulose fibers recovered from the glued laminate systems made up of layers of cellulose and p o ly e t h y le n e tend to be of low quality. Recycling is therefore not convenient – and compost‑ ing not possible.
plastic films, which can then be laminated to paper. How‑ ever, the extrusion of proteins is a topic which is not yet fully understood from the scientific point of view. The controlled and reliable extrusion of proteins is quite challenging, as proteins tend to degrade when heated. Extensive studies on simple whey protein mixtures processed at lab scale [3] have shown that, in order to be able to extrude them, the proteins need to be modified to display a thermoplas‑ tic behaviour. Process parameters, such as temperature, plasticizer concentration, and processing time in‑ fluence the properties. Within the scope of the Bioboard project, plastic formula‑ tions composed of waste proteins derived from the cheese or potato industry and bio‑ degradable polyesters were developed and produced by twin screw extrusion. The process is of especial in‑ terest, as the plasticization of the pro‑ tein, reactive modification, blending with biodegradable polyesters and the addition of potato pulp filler By partially or were optimised totally replacing in a single extru‑ the polyethylene sion step, thus mak‑ in such multilayer ing the process more systems with a protein‑ sustainable from both an based film, the end‑of‑life economic and environmen‑ management options would tal point of view. Interestingly, The BioBoard life cycle (source IRIS) be considerably improved in it was found that potato pulp, a terms of the environmental impact of by‑product of the starch industry that post‑consumer packaging, as the different also contains fibers, can be used as a filler to materials can be better separated or composted. increase the mechanical resistance of extruded whey protein‑based films [4]. The BIOBOARD European project [1] has been set up to examine the possible options for multilayer cellulosic The first application of the new biodegradable film based packaging. Previously, a protein‑based coating was sought in multilayer cellulosic packaging, such was found to improve the oxygen barrier properties of as brick‑shaped packaging for beverages or pouches multilayer plastic films when produced by wet coating for dehydrated products, but it could also be applied in [2]. However, extrusion coating is normally used in the the production of flexible plastic packaging. The studies paper and board industries to assemble the cellulosic and performed in the course of the project also showed that plastic layers at high speed. it was possible to modify the properties of the protein‑ based blends, which means these also have potential for As a preliminary step towards preparing the new mul‑ tilayer packaging, the protein‑based layer was produced use in rigid packaging, such as thermoformable trays or by flat die extrusion, a conventional method for producing containers.
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Barrier While Bioboard offers a new, biobased, extrudable solution and contributes to the available knowledge about protein extrusion, it also exhibits good benefits in terms of the environment, as it is based on waste and promotes recycling and composting practices for post-consumer packaging. However, more research is needed to overcome the remaining hurdles, such as improving processability of the material so that it could be used industrially in packaging and no-packaging applications in the future. The author wishes to acknowledge the European Community‘s Seventh Framework Programme for Research, technological development and demonstration for co-funding the Bioboard European project [grant agreement nº 315313] [1] www.bioboard.eu [2] E. Bugnicourt, M. Schmid, O. Mc. Nerney, J. Wildner, L. Smykala, A. Lazzeri, P. Cinelli, “Processing and Validation of Whey-Protein-Coated Films and Laminates at Semi-Industrial Scale as Novel Recyclable Food Packaging Materials with Excellent Barrier Properties”, Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 2013, Article ID 496207, 10 pages, 2013
By: Maria-Beatrice Coltelli Researcher University of Pisa, Italy Elodie Bugnicourt Group Leader EcoMaterials Innovació i Recerca Industrial i Sostenible (IRIS) Castelldefels, Spain
[3] V. M. Hernandez-Izquierdo and J. M. Krochta, “Thermoplastic processing of proteins for film formation - A review,” J. Food Sci., vol. 73, no. 2, pp. R30–R39, 2008. [4] M. Schmid, C. Herbst, K. Müller, A. Stäbler, D. Schlemmer, M.-B. Coltelli, and A. Lazzeri. “How potato pulp as filler in thermoplastic WPI/PBS Blends affects mechanical properties and water vapor transmission rate”, Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering, submitted, 2015
www.wpc-conference.com © Resysta Furniture and Decking (2), Faurecia, Tecnaro
Sixth WPC & NFC Conference, Cologne Wood and Natural Fibre Composites 16 – 17 December 2015, Maritim Hotel, Germany
Programme, Sponsors: Dr. Asta Eder asta.eder@nova-institut.de Organisation, Communication, Exhibition: Dominik Vogt
World’s Largest WPC & NFC Conference in 2015!
dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de Organiser:
Market opportunities through intersectoral innovation in Wood-Plastic Composites and Natural Fibre Composites New applications – huge replacement potential in plastics and composites! ■ ■ ■ ■
The international two-day programme, taking place in English The world’s most comprehensive WPC exhibition
Vote for „The Wood and Natural Fibre Composite Award 2015“ Gala dinner and other excellent networking opportunities
nova-Institut GmbH Chemiepark Knapsack Industriestraße 300 50354 Hürth Germany bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
47
Basics
Basics
Land use (update)
By: Hasso von Pogrell Managing Director European Bioplastics Berlin, Germany
How much land is being used for the production of biobased plastics?
E
steemed an important pillar of the European bioec‑ onomy by the European Commission, the bioplastics industry has developed dynamically in recent years demonstrating a significant growth potential. Global pro‑ duction capacities are predicted to grow from 1.6 million tonnes in 2013 to approximately 6.7 million tonnes in 2018. A maintained and fair access to sustainably grown bio‑ mass is critical to guarantee this growth. For the production of currently 1.6 million tonnes of biobased plastics into approximately 600,000 hectares of land are needed to grow sufficient feedstock. This translates to about 0.01 % of the entire global agricultural area of 5 billion hectares. Biomass grown for material use in general (including the share for the productions of bioplastics) amounts to roughly 2 % of the global agricultural area. In contrast to that, growing food, feed, and use of land as pastures account for about 97 %. The sheer difference in volume shows that there is no competition between biomass use for food and feed, and for material use.
SHAPING SMART SOLUTIONS Register now! 5/6 November 2015 MARITIM proArte Hotel Berlin For more information email: conference@european-bioplastics.org
www.conference.european-bioplastics.org 48
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
Assuming a continued high and maybe even politically supported growth of the bioplastics market, at the current stage of technological development, a global production capacity of around 6.7 million tonnes could be reached by 2018 for which about 1.3 million hectares land would be needed. Even at this growth rate, the predicted land use only equates to approximately 0.02 % of the global agricultural area.. What is more, the aforementioned calculation (which was done by the IfBB Hanover) assumes that the feedstock grown on the land (600,000 ha in 2013 and 1.3 million ha in 2018) is solely allocated to the production of biobased plastics. In many cases, however, this will not be the case, but an integrated production processes will create more than just one product out of the feedstock. This means that food, feed, and industrial products will all be produced from the same plant, in which case the actual land-use for bioplastics would be much lower than the already very small area predicted by European Bioplastics. Another important aspect that should be taken into account is the increasing share of food residues, non-food crops or cellulosic biomass used for the production of bioplastics, which will lead to even less land demanded for bioplastics than the numbers predicted above. Industrial use of biomass is neither in competition with the production of food and feed, nor the use of land as pastures. In order to continue to make reliable claims and forecasts, accurate calculations are needed. Therefore, European Bioplastics is driving this important topic
Basics together with renowned specialists such as market research and policy consultancy nova- Institute and the Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites of the University of Applied Arts and Sciences Hannover (both Germany). Both institutes will present their latest insights at the 10th European Bioplastics Conference on 5/6 November 2015 in Berlin and share their newest data on the biomass available for industrial production (nova-Institute) as well as different calculation scenarios for an accurate determination of land-use for biobased plastics production. Hans-Josef Endres from the IfBB pointed out that in order to engage in the discussion on land use for biobased plastics, accurate calculations are needed. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the IfBB shows that land use calculation is impacted by a lot of different factors. “We identified strong impact factors, like the assumed biomass yields, variable crops producing the same polymer feedstock, different processing
Bio-based polymer
Biomass allocation to Biomass
routes for equal bioplastics, postulated biobased amounts and particularly the inclusion of old economy bioplastics like cellulosics or even rubber. Other impact factors like allocation or conversation rates often have a much lower and therefore overestimated influence on results of land use calculations.” Florence Aeschelmann and Michael Carus from novaInstitute confirm that it is important to allocate the land only to the actual amount of biomass used for the production of bioplastics: “Only a certain part of the harvested biomass is used for the production of bio-based polymers – other parts are used for food, feed or energy.“ The table below shows the biomass allocation between bio-based plastics and other uses, the correction factor, and the lower land use number taking the adopted allocation into account. Stakeholders interested in this important topic should not miss this year’s anniversary of the leading bioplastics conference in Europe.
Bio-based plastics
Food, feed and others
Correction factor
Land use ha/t full allocation to bio-based plastics
Land use ha/t bio-based polymer, nova-Institute with allocation to all uses (w. correction factor)
PLA100
Sugar beet
70 %
30 %
0.7
0.18
0.13
PLA100
Sugar cane
30 %
70 %
0.3
0.16
0.05
PLA100
Wheat
60 %
40 %
0.6
1.04
0.62
PLA100
Corn
75 %
25 %
0.75
0.37
0.28
PET30
Sugar cane
30 %
70 %
0.3
0.08
0.024
PE
Sugar cane
30 %
70 %
0.3
0.48
0.14
Source: nova-Institute
www.en.european-bioplastics.org/environment/sustainable-sourcing/land-use/ www.en.european-bioplastics.org/conference/
Global land area 13.4 billion ha = 100 % Global agricultural area 5 billion ha = 37 %
GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL AREA Pasture 3.5 billion ha = 70 %* Arable land** 1.4 billion ha = 30 %* Food & Feed 1.24 billion ha = 26 %* Material use 106 million ha = 2 %* Biofuels 53 million ha = 1 %*
Source: European Bioplastics | Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, nova-Institute (October 2015)
Bioplastics 2013: 0.6 million ha = 0.01 %* 2018: 1.3 million ha = 0.02 %* * In relation to global agricultural area ** Also includes 1 % fallow land
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
49
Basics
Glossary 4.1
last update issue 04/2015
In bioplastics MAGAZINE again and again the same expressions appear that some of our readers might not (yet) be familiar with. This glossary shall help with these terms and shall help avoid repeated explanations such as PLA (Polylactide) in various articles. Since this Glossary will not be printed in each issue you can download a pdf ver‑ sion from our website (bit.ly/OunBB0) bioplastics MAGAZINE is grateful to European Bioplastics for the permission to use parts of their Glossary. Version 4.0 was revised using EuBP’s latest version (Jan 2015). [*: bM ... refers to more comprehensive article previously published in bioplastics MAGAZINE)
Bioplastics (as defined by European Bioplas‑ tics e.V.) is a term used to define two different kinds of plastics: a. Plastics based on → renewable resources (the focus is the origin of the raw material used). These can be biodegradable or not. b. → Biodegradable and → compostable plastics according to EN13432 or similar standards (the focus is the compostability of the final product; biodegradable and com‑ postable plastics can be based on renewable (biobased) and/or non‑renewable (fossil) re‑ sources). Bioplastics may be ‑ based on renewable resources and biode‑ gradable; ‑ based on renewable resources but not be biodegradable; and ‑ based on fossil resources and biodegradable. 1 Generation feedstock | Carbohydrate rich plants such as corn or sugar cane that can also be used as food or animal feed are called food crops or 1st generation feedstock. Bred my mankind over centuries for highest energy efficiency, currently, 1st generation feedstock is the most efficient feedstock for the pro‑ duction of bioplastics as it requires the least amount of land to grow and produce the high‑ est yields. [bM 04/09] st
2nd Generation feedstock | refers to feedstock not suitable for food or feed. It can be either non‑food crops (e.g. cellulose) or waste ma‑ terials from 1st generation feedstock (e.g. waste vegetable oil). [bM 06/11] 3rd Generation feedstock | This term cur‑ rently relates to biomass from algae, which – having a higher growth yield than 1st and 2nd generation feedstock – were given their own category. Aerobic digestion | Aerobic means in the presence of oxygen. In →composting, which is an aerobic process, →microorganisms access the present oxygen from the surrounding at‑ mosphere. They metabolize the organic ma‑ terial to energy, CO2, water and cell biomass, whereby part of the energy of the organic ma‑ terial is released as heat. [bM 03/07, bM 02/09]
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Anaerobic digestion | In anaerobic diges‑ tion, organic matter is degraded by a mi‑ crobial population in the absence of oxygen and producing methane and carbon dioxide (= →biogas) and a solid residue that can be composted in a subsequent step without practically releasing any heat. The biogas can be treated in a Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP), producing electricity and heat, or can be upgraded to bio‑methane [14] [bM 06/09] Amorphous | non‑crystalline, glassy with un‑ ordered lattice Amylopectin | Polymeric branched starch molecule with very high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09] Amylose | Polymeric non‑branched starch molecule with high molecular weight (biopol‑ ymer, monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09] Biobased | The term biobased describes the part of a material or product that is stemming from →biomass. When making a biobased‑ claim, the unit (→biobased carbon content, →biobased mass content), a percentage and the measuring method should be clearly stated [1] Biobased carbon | carbon contained in or stemming from →biomass. A material or product made of fossil and →renewable re‑ sources contains fossil and →biobased carbon. The biobased carbon content is measured via the 14C method (radio carbon dating method) that adheres to the technical specifications as described in [1,4,5,6]. Biobased labels | The fact that (and to what percentage) a product or a material is →biobased can be indicated by respective labels. Ideally, meaningful labels should be based on harmonised standards and a cor‑ responding certification process by independ‑ ent third party institutions. For the property biobased such labels are in place by certifiers →DIN CERTCO and →Vinçotte who both base their certifications on the technical specifica‑ tion as described in [4,5] A certification and corresponding label depict‑ ing the biobased mass content was developed by the French Association Chimie du Végétal [ACDV].
Biobased mass content | describes the amount of biobased mass contained in a ma‑ terial or product. This method is complemen‑ tary to the 14C method, and furthermore, takes other chemical elements besides the biobased carbon into account, such as oxygen, nitro‑ gen and hydrogen. A measuring method has been developed and tested by the Association Chimie du Végétal (ACDV) [1] Biobased plastic | A plastic in which con‑ stitutional units are totally or partly from → biomass [3]. If this claim is used, a percent‑ age should always be given to which ex‑ tent the product/material is → biobased [1] [bM 01/07, bM 03/10]
Biodegradable Plastics | Biodegradable Plas‑ tics are plastics that are completely assimi‑ lated by the → microorganisms present a de‑ fined environment as food for their energy. The carbon of the plastic must completely be con‑ verted into CO2 during the microbial process. The process of biodegradation depends on the environmental conditions, which influence it (e.g. location, temperature, humidity) and on the material or application itself. Conse‑ quently, the process and its outcome can vary considerably. Biodegradability is linked to the structure of the polymer chain; it does not de‑ pend on the origin of the raw materials. There is currently no single, overarching stand‑ ard to back up claims about biodegradability. One standard for example is ISO or in Europe: EN 14995 Plastics‑ Evaluation of composta‑ bility ‑ Test scheme and specifications [bM 02/06, bM 01/07]
Biogas | → Anaerobic digestion Biomass | Material of biological origin exclud‑ ing material embedded in geological forma‑ tions and material transformed to fossilised material. This includes organic material, e.g. trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, algae and waste of biological origin, e.g. manure [1, 2] Biorefinery | the co‑production of a spectrum of bio‑based products (food, feed, materials, chemicals including monomers or building blocks for bioplastics) and energy (fuels, pow‑ er, heat) from biomass.[bM 02/13] Blend | Mixture of plastics, polymer alloy of at least two microscopically dispersed and mo‑ lecularly distributed base polymers Bisphenol-A (BPA) | Monomer used to pro‑ duce different polymers. BPA is said to cause health problems, due to the fact that is be‑ haves like a hormone. Therefore it is banned for use in children’s products in many coun‑ tries. BPI | Biodegradable Products Institute, a not‑ for‑profit association. Through their innova‑ tive compostable label program, BPI educates manufacturers, legislators and consumers about the importance of scientifically based standards for compostable materials which biodegrade in large composting facilities. Carbon footprint | (CFPs resp. PCFs – Prod‑ uct Carbon Footprint): Sum of →greenhouse gas emissions and removals in a product sys‑ tem, expressed as CO2 equivalent, and based on a →life cycle assessment. The CO2 equiva‑ lent of a specific amount of a greenhouse gas is calculated as the mass of a given green‑ house gas multiplied by its →global warming‑ potential [1,2,15]
Basics Carbon neutral, CO2 neutral | describes a product or process that has a negligible im‑ pact on total atmospheric CO2 levels. For example, carbon neutrality means that any CO2 released when a plant decomposes or is burnt is offset by an equal amount of CO2 absorbed by the plant through photosynthesis when it is growing. Carbon neutrality can also be achieved through buying sufficient carbon credits to make up the difference. The latter option is not allowed when communicating → LCAs or carbon footprints regarding a material or product [1, 2]. Carbon-neutral claims are tricky as products will not in most cases reach carbon neutrality if their complete life cycle is taken into con‑ sideration (including the end-of life). If an assessment of a material, however, is conducted (cradle to gate), carbon neutrality might be a valid claim in a B2B context. In this case, the unit assessed in the complete life cycle has to be clarified [1] Cascade use | of →renewable resources means to first use the →biomass to produce biobased industrial products and afterwards – due to their favourable energy balance – use them for energy generation (e.g. from a biobased plastic product to →biogas production). The feedstock is used efficiently and value gen‑ eration increases decisively. Catalyst | substance that enables and accel‑ erates a chemical reaction Cellophane | Clear film on the basis of →cel‑ lulose [bM 01/10] Cellulose | Cellulose is the principal compo‑ nent of cell walls in all higher forms of plant life, at varying percentages. It is therefore the most common organic compound and also the most common polysaccharide (multisugar) [11]. Cellulose is a polymeric molecule with very high molecular weight (monomer is →Glucose), industrial production from wood or cotton, to manufacture paper, plastics and fibres [bM 01/10] Cellulose ester | Cellulose esters occur by the esterification of cellulose with organic ac‑ ids. The most important cellulose esters from a technical point of view are cellulose acetate (CA with acetic acid), cellulose propionate (CP with propionic acid) and cellulose bu‑ tyrate (CB with butanoic acid). Mixed polym‑ erisates, such as cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) can also be formed. One of the most well-known applications of cellulose aceto butyrate (CAB) is the moulded handle on the Swiss army knife [11] Cellulose acetate CA | → Cellulose ester CEN | Comité Européen de Normalisation (European organisation for standardization) Certification | is a process in which materi‑ als/products undergo a string of (laboratory) tests in order to verify that the fulfil certain requirements. Sound certification systems should be based on (ideally harmonised) Eu‑ ropean standards or technical specifications (e.g. by →CEN, USDA, ASTM, etc.) and be performed by independent third party labo‑ ratories. Successful certification guarantees a high product safety - also on this basis in‑ terconnected labels can be awarded that help the consumer to make an informed decision.
Compost | A soil conditioning material of de‑ composing organic matter which provides nu‑ trients and enhances soil structure. [bM 06/08, 02/09]
Compostable Plastics | Plastics that are → biodegradable under →composting con‑ ditions: specified humidity, temperature, → microorganisms and timeframe. In order to make accurate and specific claims about compostability, the location (home, → indus‑ trial) and timeframe need to be specified [1]. Several national and international standards exist for clearer definitions, for example EN 14995 Plastics - Evaluation of compostability Test scheme and specifications. [bM 02/06, bM 01/07] Composting | is the controlled →aerobic, or oxygen-requiring, decomposition of organic materials by →microorganisms, under con‑ trolled conditions. It reduces the volume and mass of the raw materials while transforming them into CO2, water and a valuable soil con‑ ditioner – compost. When talking about composting of bioplas‑ tics, foremost →industrial composting in a managed composting facility is meant (crite‑ ria defined in EN 13432). The main difference between industrial and home composting is, that in industrial com‑ posting facilities temperatures are much higher and kept stable, whereas in the com‑ posting pile temperatures are usually lower, and less constant as depending on factors such as weather conditions. Home com‑ posting is a way slower-paced process than industrial composting. Also a comparatively smaller volume of waste is involved. [bM 03/07] Compound | plastic mixture from different raw materials (polymer and additives) [bM 04/10) Copolymer | Plastic composed of different monomers. Cradle-to-Gate | Describes the system boundaries of an environmental →Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which covers all activities from the cradle (i.e., the extraction of raw ma‑ terials, agricultural activities and forestry) up to the factory gate Cradle-to-Cradle | (sometimes abbreviated as C2C): Is an expression which communi‑ cates the concept of a closed-cycle econo‑ my, in which waste is used as raw material (‘waste equals food’). Cradle-to-Cradle is not a term that is typically used in →LCA studies. Cradle-to-Grave | Describes the system boundaries of a full →Life Cycle Assessment from manufacture (cradle) to use phase and disposal phase (grave). Crystalline | Plastic with regularly arranged molecules in a lattice structure
e.g. sugar cane) or partly biobased PET; the monoethylene glykol made from bio-ethanol (from e.g. sugar cane). Developments to make terephthalic acid from renewable re‑ sources are under way. Other examples are polyamides (partly biobased e.g. PA 4.10 or PA 6.10 or fully biobased like PA 5.10 or PA10.10) EN 13432 | European standard for the as‑ sessment of the → compostability of plastic packaging products Energy recovery | recovery and exploitation of the energy potential in (plastic) waste for the production of electricity or heat in waste incineration pants (waste-to-energy) Environmental claim | A statement, symbol or graphic that indicates one or more environ‑ mental aspect(s) of a product, a component, packaging or a service. [16] Enzymes | proteins that catalyze chemical reactions Enzyme-mediated plastics | are no →bioplas‑ tics. Instead, a conventional non-biodegrada‑ ble plastic (e.g. fossil-based PE) is enriched with small amounts of an organic additive. Microorganisms are supposed to consume these additives and the degradation process should then expand to the non-biodegradable PE and thus make the material degrade. After some time the plastic is supposed to visually disappear and to be completely converted to carbon dioxide and water. This is a theoreti‑ cal concept which has not been backed up by any verifiable proof so far. Producers promote enzyme-mediated plastics as a solution to lit‑ tering. As no proof for the degradation proc‑ ess has been provided, environmental benefi‑ cial effects are highly questionable. Ethylene | colour- and odourless gas, made e.g. from, Naphtha (petroleum) by cracking or from bio-ethanol by dehydration, monomer of the polymer polyethylene (PE) European Bioplastics e.V. | The industry as‑ sociation representing the interests of Eu‑ rope’s thriving bioplastics’ industry. Founded in Germany in 1993 as IBAW, European Bioplastics today represents the interests of about 50 member companies throughout the European Union and worldwide. With members from the agricultural feedstock, chemical and plastics industries, as well as industrial users and recycling companies, Eu‑ ropean Bioplastics serves as both a contact platform and catalyst for advancing the aims of the growing bioplastics industry. Extrusion | process used to create plastic profiles (or sheet) of a fixed cross-section consisting of mixing, melting, homogenising and shaping of the plastic.
DIN | Deutsches Institut für Normung (Ger‑ man organisation for standardization)
FDCA | 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, an inter‑ mediate chemical produced from 5-HMF. The dicarboxylic acid can be used to make → PEF = polyethylene furanoate, a polyester that could be a 100% biobased alternative to PET.
DIN-CERTCO | independant certifying organi‑ sation for the assessment on the conformity of bioplastics
Fermentation | Biochemical reactions control‑ led by → microorganisms or → enyzmes (e.g. the transformation of sugar into lactic acid).
Dispersing | fine distribution of non-miscible liquids into a homogeneous, stable mixture
FSC | Forest Stewardship Council. FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not-forprofit organization established to promote the responsible and sustainable management of the world’s forests.
Density | Quotient from mass and volume of a material, also referred to as specific weight
Drop-In bioplastics | chemically indentical to conventional petroleum based plastics, but made from renewable resources. Exam‑ ples are bio-PE made from bio-ethanol (from
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Basics Gelatine | Translucent brittle solid substance, colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless, extracted from the collagen in‑ side animals‘ connective tissue. Genetically modified organism (GMO) | Organisms, such as plants and animals, whose genetic material (DNA) has been al‑ tered are called genetically modified organ‑ isms (GMOs). Food and feed which contain or consist of such GMOs, or are produced from GMOs, are called genetically modified (GM) food or feed [1]. If GM crops are used in bioplastics production, the multiple-stage processing and the high heat used to create the polymer removes all traces of genetic material. This means that the final bioplas‑ tics product contains no genetic traces. The resulting bioplastics is therefore well suited to use in food packaging as it contains no ge‑ netically modified material and cannot inter‑ act with the contents. Global Warming | Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earth’s atmos‑ phere and oceans since the late 19th cen‑ tury and its projected continuation [8]. Global warming is said to be accelerated by → green house gases. Glucose | Monosaccharide (or simple sugar). G. is the most important carbohydrate (sugar) in biology. G. is formed by photosynthesis or hydrolyse of many carbohydrates e. g. starch. Greenhouse gas GHG | Gaseous constituent of the atmosphere, both natural and anthro‑ pogenic, that absorbs and emits radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s sur‑ face, the atmosphere, and clouds [1, 9] Greenwashing | The act of misleading con‑ sumers regarding the environmental prac‑ tices of a company, or the environmental ben‑ efits of a product or service [1, 10] Granulate, granules | small plastic particles (3-4 millimetres), a form in which plastic is sold and fed into machines, easy to handle and dose. HMF (5-HMF) | 5-hydroxymethylfurfural is an organic compound derived from sugar dehy‑ dration. It is a platform chemical, a building block for 20 performance polymers and over 175 different chemical substances. The mol‑ ecule consists of a furan ring which contains both aldehyde and alcohol functional groups. 5-HMF has applications in many different industries such as bioplastics, packaging, pharmaceuticals, adhesives and chemicals. One of the most promising routes is 2,5 furan‑ dicarboxylic acid (FDCA), produced as an in‑ termediate when 5-HMF is oxidised. FDCA is used to produce PEF, which can substitute terephthalic acid in polyester, especially poly‑ ethylene terephthalate (PET). [bM 03/14] Home composting | →composting [bM 06/08] Humus | In agriculture, humus is often used simply to mean mature →compost, or natu‑ ral compost extracted from a forest or other spontaneous source for use to amend soil. Hydrophilic | Property: water-friendly, solu‑ ble in water or other polar solvents (e.g. used in conjunction with a plastic which is not wa‑ ter resistant and weather proof or that ab‑ sorbs water such as Polyamide (PA).
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Hydrophobic | Property: water-resistant, not soluble in water (e.g. a plastic which is water resistant and weather proof, or that does not absorb any water such as Polyethylene (PE) or Polypropylene (PP). Industrial composting | is an established proc‑ ess with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transform‑ ing biodegradable waste into stable, sanitised products to be used in agriculture. The criteria for industrial compostability of packaging have been defined in the EN 13432. Materials and products complying with this standard can be certified and subsequently labelled accordingly [1,7] [bM 06/08, 02/09] ISO | International Organization for Stand‑ ardization JBPA | Japan Bioplastics Association Land use | The surface required to grow suffi‑ cient feedstock (land use) for today’s bioplas‑ tic production is less than 0.01 percent of the global agricultural area of 5 billion hectares. It is not yet foreseeable to what extent an in‑ creased use of food residues, non-food crops or cellulosic biomass (see also →1st/2nd/3rd generation feedstock) in bioplastics produc‑ tion might lead to an even further reduced land use in the future [bM 04/09, 01/14] LCA | is the compilation and evaluation of the input, output and the potential environmental impact of a product system throughout its life cycle [17]. It is sometimes also referred to as life cycle analysis, ecobalance or cradle-tograve analysis. [bM 01/09] Littering | is the (illegal) act of leaving waste such as cigarette butts, paper, tins, bottles, cups, plates, cutlery or bags lying in an open or public place. Marine litter | Following the European Com‑ mission’s definition, “marine litter consists of items that have been deliberately discarded, unintentionally lost, or transported by winds and rivers, into the sea and on beaches. It mainly consists of plastics, wood, metals, glass, rubber, clothing and paper”. Marine debris originates from a variety of sources. Shipping and fishing activities are the pre‑ dominant sea-based, ineffectively managed landfills as well as public littering the main land-based sources. Marine litter can pose a threat to living organisms, especially due to ingestion or entanglement. Currently, there is no international standard available, which appropriately describes the biodegradation of plastics in the marine envi‑ ronment. However, a number of standardisa‑ tion projects are in progress at ISO and ASTM level. Furthermore, the European project OPEN BIO addresses the marine biodegrada‑ tion of biobased products. Mass balance | describes the relationship be‑ tween input and output of a specific substance within a system in which the output from the system cannot exceed the input into the system. First attempts were made by plastic raw ma‑ terial producers to claim their products re‑ newable (plastics) based on a certain input of biomass in a huge and complex chemical plant, then mathematically allocating this biomass input to the produced plastic. These approaches are at least controversially disputed [bM 04/14, 05/14, 01/15]
Microorganism | Living organisms of micro‑ scopic size, such as bacteria, funghi or yeast. Molecule | group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds. Monomer | molecules that are linked by po‑ lymerization to form chains of molecules and then plastics Mulch film | Foil to cover bottom of farmland Organic recycling | means the treatment of separately collected organic waste by anaero‑ bic digestion and/or composting. Oxo-degradable / Oxo-fragmentable | ma‑ terials and products that do not biodegrade! The underlying technology of oxo-degradability or oxo-fragmentation is based on special ad‑ ditives, which, if incorporated into standard resins, are purported to accelerate the frag‑ mentation of products made thereof. Oxodegradable or oxo-fragmentable materials do not meet accepted industry standards on com‑ postability such as EN 13432. [bM 01/09, 05/09] PBAT | Polybutylene adipate terephthalate, is an aliphatic-aromatic copolyester that has the properties of conventional polyethylene but is fully biodegradable under industrial compost‑ ing. PBAT is made from fossil petroleum with first attempts being made to produce it partly from renewable resources [bM 06/09] PBS | Polybutylene succinate, a 100% biode‑ gradable polymer, made from (e.g. bio-BDO) and succinic acid, which can also be produced biobased [bM 03/12]. PC | Polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyester, petroleum based and not degradable, used for e.g. baby bottles or CDs. Criticized for its BPA (→ Bisphenol-A) content. PCL | Polycaprolactone, a synthetic (fossil based), biodegradable bioplastic, e.g. used as a blend component. PE | Polyethylene, thermoplastic polymerised from ethylene. Can be made from renewable resources (sugar cane via bio-ethanol) [bM 05/10] PEF | polyethylene furanoate, a polyester made from monoethylene glycol (MEG) and →FDCA (2,5-furandicarboxylic acid , an inter‑ mediate chemical produced from 5-HMF). It can be a 100% biobased alternative for PET. PEF also has improved product characteris‑ tics, such as better structural strength and improved barrier behaviour, which will allow for the use of PEF bottles in additional appli‑ cations. [bM 03/11, 04/12] PET | Polyethylenterephthalate, transpar‑ ent polyester used for bottles and film. The polyester is made from monoethylene glycol (MEG), that can be renewably sourced from bio-ethanol (sugar cane) and (until now fossil) terephthalic acid [bM 04/14] PGA | Polyglycolic acid or Polyglycolide is a bi‑ odegradable, thermoplastic polymer and the simplest linear, aliphatic polyester. Besides ist use in the biomedical field, PGA has been introduced as a barrier resin [bM 03/09] PHA | Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) or the polyhydroxy fatty acids, are a family of biode‑ gradable polyesters. As in many mammals, including humans, that hold energy reserves in the form of body fat there are also bacte‑ ria that hold intracellular reserves in for of of polyhydroxy alkanoates. Here the microorganisms store a particularly high level of
Basics energy reserves (up to 80% of their own body weight) for when their sources of nutrition be‑ come scarce. By farming this type of bacteria, and feeding them on sugar or starch (mostly from maize), or at times on plant oils or other nutrients rich in carbonates, it is possible to obtain PHA‘s on an industrial scale [11]. The most common types of PHA are PHB (Poly‑ hydroxybutyrate, PHBV and PHBH. Depend‑ ing on the bacteria and their food, PHAs with different mechanical properties, from rubbery soft trough stiff and hard as ABS, can be pro‑ duced. Some PHSs are even biodegradable in soil or in a marine environment PLA | Polylactide or Polylactic Acid (PLA), a biodegradable, thermoplastic, linear aliphatic polyester based on lactic acid, a natural acid, is mainly produced by fermentation of sugar or starch with the help of micro-organisms. Lactic acid comes in two isomer forms, i.e. as laevorotatory D(-)lactic acid and as dextroro‑ tary L(+)lactic acid. Modified PLA types can be produced by the use of the right additives or by certain combi‑ nations of L- and D- lactides (stereocomplex‑ ing), which then have the required rigidity for use at higher temperatures [13] [bM 01/09, 01/12] Plastics | Materials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, pro‑ duced by chemical or biochemical reactions. PPC | Polypropylene Carbonate, a bioplastic made by copolymerizing CO2 with propylene oxide (PO) [bM 04/12] PTT | Polytrimethylterephthalate (PTT), par‑ tially biobased polyester, is similarly to PET produced using terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate and a diol. In this case it is a biobased 1,3 propanediol, also known as bioPDO [bM 01/13] Renewable Resources | agricultural raw ma‑ terials, which are not used as food or feed, but as raw material for industrial products or to generate energy. The use of renewable resources by industry saves fossil resources and reduces the amount of → greenhouse gas emissions. Biobased plastics are predomi‑ nantly made of annual crops such as corn, cereals and sugar beets or perennial cultures such as cassava and sugar cane. Resource efficiency | Use of limited natural resources in a sustainable way while mini‑ mising impacts on the environment. A re‑ source efficient economy creates more output or value with lesser input. Seedling Logo | The compostability label or logo Seedling is connected to the standard EN 13432/EN 14995 and a certification proc‑ ess managed by the independent institutions →DIN CERTCO and → Vinçotte. Bioplastics products carrying the Seedling fulfil the cri‑ teria laid down in the EN 13432 regarding in‑ dustrial compostability. [bM 01/06, 02/10] Saccharins or carbohydrates | Saccharins or carbohydrates are name for the sugar-family. Saccharins are monomer or polymer sugar units. For example, there are known mono-, di- and polysaccharose. → glucose is a mon‑ osaccarin. They are important for the diet and produced biology in plants. Semi-finished products | plastic in form of sheet, film, rods or the like to be further proc‑ essed into finshed products
Sorbitol | Sugar alcohol, obtained by reduc‑ tion of glucose changing the aldehyde group to an additional hydroxyl group. S. is used as a plasticiser for bioplastics based on starch.
implies a commitment to continuous improve‑ ment that should result in a further reduction of the environmental footprint of today’s prod‑ ucts, processes and raw materials used.
Starch | Natural polymer (carbohydrate) consisting of → amylose and → amylopectin, gained from maize, potatoes, wheat, tapioca etc. When glucose is connected to polymerchains in definite way the result (product) is called starch. Each molecule is based on 300 -12000-glucose units. Depending on the con‑ nection, there are two types → amylose and → amylopectin known. [bM 05/09]
Thermoplastics | Plastics which soften or melt when heated and solidify when cooled (solid at room temperature).
Starch derivatives | Starch derivatives are based on the chemical structure of → starch. The chemical structure can be changed by introducing new functional groups without changing the → starch polymer. The product has different chemical qualities. Mostly the hydrophilic character is not the same. Starch-ester | One characteristic of every starch-chain is a free hydroxyl group. When every hydroxyl group is connected with an acid one product is starch-ester with different chemical properties. Starch propionate and starch butyrate | Starch propionate and starch butyrate can be synthesised by treating the → starch with pro‑ pane or butanic acid. The product structure is still based on → starch. Every based → glu‑ cose fragment is connected with a propionate or butyrate ester group. The product is more hydrophobic than → starch. Sustainable | An attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environ‑ ments both now and into the indefinite future. One famous definition of sustainability is the one created by the Brundtland Commission, led by the former Norwegian Prime Minis‑ ter G. H. Brundtland. The Brundtland Com‑ mission defined sustainable development as development that ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ Sustainability relates to the continuity of eco‑ nomic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society, as well as the nonhuman environment). Sustainable sourcing | of renewable feed‑ stock for biobased plastics is a prerequisite for more sustainable products. Impacts such as the deforestation of protected habitats or social and environmental damage aris‑ ing from poor agricultural practices must be avoided. Corresponding certification schemes, such as ISCC PLUS, WLC or Bon‑ Sucro, are an appropriate tool to ensure the sustainable sourcing of biomass for all appli‑ cations around the globe. Sustainability | as defined by European Bio‑ plastics, has three dimensions: economic, so‑ cial and environmental. This has been known as “the triple bottom line of sustainability”. This means that sustainable development in‑ volves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental protection and so‑ cial equity. In other words, businesses have to expand their responsibility to include these environmental and social dimensions. Sus‑ tainability is about making products useful to markets and, at the same time, having soci‑ etal benefits and lower environmental impact than the alternatives currently available. It also
Thermoplastic Starch | (TPS) → starch that was modified (cooked, complexed) to make it a plastic resin Thermoset | Plastics (resins) which do not soften or melt when heated. Examples are epoxy resins or unsaturated polyester resins. Vinçotte | independant certifying organisation for the assessment on the conformity of bio‑ plastics WPC | Wood Plastic Composite. Composite materials made of wood fiber/flour and plas‑ tics (mostly polypropylene). Yard Waste | Grass clippings, leaves, trim‑ mings, garden residue. References: [1] Environmental Communication Guide, European Bioplastics, Berlin, Germany, 2012 [2] ISO 14067. Carbon footprint of products Requirements and guidelines for quanti‑ fication and communication [3] CEN TR 15932, Plastics - Recommenda‑ tion for terminology and characterisation of biopolymers and bioplastics, 2010 [4] CEN/TS 16137, Plastics - Determination of bio-based carbon content, 2011 [5] ASTM D6866, Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Us‑ ing Radiocarbon Analysis [6] SPI: Understanding Biobased Carbon Content, 2012 [7] EN 13432, Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and bio‑ degradation. Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of pack‑ aging, 2000 [8] Wikipedia [9] ISO 14064 Greenhouse gases -- Part 1: Specification with guidance..., 2006 [10] Terrachoice, 2010, www.terrachoice.com [11] Thielen, M.: Bioplastics: Basics. Applica‑ tions. Markets, Polymedia Publisher, 2012 [12] Lörcks, J.: Biokunststoffe, Broschüre der FNR, 2005 [13] de Vos, S.: Improving heat-resistance of PLA using poly(D-lactide), bioplastics MAGAZINE, Vol. 3, Issue 02/2008 [14] de Wilde, B.: Anaerobic Digestion, bio‑ plastics MAGAZINE, Vol 4., Issue 06/2009 [15] ISO 14067 onb Corbon Footprint of Products [16] ISO 14021 on Self-declared Environmen‑ tal claims [17] ISO 14044 on Life Cycle Assessment
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
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Suppliers Guide 1. Raw Materials
AGRANA Starch Thermoplastics Conrathstrasse 7 A‑3950 Gmuend, Austria Tel: +43 676 8926 19374 lukas.raschbauer@agrana.com www.agrana.com
Simply contact:
Jincheng, Lin‘an, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China China contact: Grace Jin mobile: 0086 135 7578 9843 Grace@xinfupharm.com Europe contact(Belgium): Susan Zhang mobile: 0032 478 991619 zxh0612@hotmail.com www.xinfupharm.com
suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com
1.1 bio based monomers
Showa Denko Europe GmbH Konrad‑Zuse‑Platz 4 81829 Munich, Germany Tel.: +49 89 93996226 www.showa‑denko.com support@sde.de
Tel.: +49 2161 6884467 Stay permanently listed in the Suppliers Guide with your company logo and contact information. For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you can be present among top suppliers in the field of bioplastics.
For Example:
39 mm
Evonik Industries AG Paul Baumann Straße 1 45772 Marl, Germany Tel +49 2365 49‑4717 evonik‑hp@evonik.com www.vestamid‑terra.com www.evonik.com
Polymedia Publisher GmbH Dammer Str. 112 41066 Mönchengladbach Germany Tel. +49 2161 664864 Fax +49 2161 631045 info@bioplasticsmagazine.com www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Sample Charge: 39mm x 6,00 € = 234,00 € per entry/per issue
PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd. A JV of PTT and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation Bangkok, Thailand Tel: +66(0) 2 140‑3563 info@pttmcc.com www.pttmcc.com
Corbion Purac Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21 4200 AA Gorinchem ‑ The Netherlands Tel.: +31 (0)183 695 695 Fax: +31 (0)183 695 604 www.corbion.com/bioplastics bioplastics@corbion.com
DuPont de Nemours International S.A. 2 chemin du Pavillon 1218 ‑ Le Grand Saconnex Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 171 51 11 Fax: +41 22 580 22 45 62 136 Lestrem, France plastics@dupont.com Tel.: + 33 (0) 3 21 63 36 00 www.renewable.dupont.com www.roquette‑performance‑plastics.com www.plastics.dupont.com
The entry in our Suppliers Guide is bookable for one year (6 issues) and extends automatically if it’s not canceled three month before expiry.
Tel: +86 351‑8689356 Fax: +86 351‑8689718 www.ecoworld.jinhuigroup.com ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 www.grafe.com
PolyOne Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 Zoning de la Fagne 5330 Assesse Belgium Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 www.polyone.com 1.3 PLA
Shenzhen Esun Ind. Co;Ltd www.brightcn.net www.esun.en.alibaba.com bright@brightcn.net Tel: +86‑755‑2603 1978
6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 €
www.issuu.com
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH Siemensring 79 D ‑ 47 877 Willich Tel. +49 2154 9251‑0 Tel.: +49 2154 9251‑51 sales@fkur.com www.fkur.com
1.2 compounds
Sample Charge for one year:
www.facebook.com
Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd. No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou Hi‑Tech Ind. Development Zone, Guangdong, P.R. China. 510663 Tel: +86 (0)20 6622 1696 info@ecopond.com.cn www.ecopond.com.cn FLEX-162 Biodeg. Blown Film Resin! Bio-873 4-Star Inj. Bio-Based Resin!
API S.p.A. Via Dante Alighieri, 27 36065 Mussolente (VI), Italy Telephone +39 0424 579711 www.apiplastic.com www.apinatbio.com
1.4 starch-based bioplastics
Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients ZAC „Les Portes de Riom“ ‑ BP 173 63204 Riom Cedex ‑ France Tel. +33 (0)4 73 67 17 00 Fax +33 (0)4 73 67 17 10 www.biolice.com
Suppliers Guide 2. Additives/Secondary raw materials
BIOTEC Biologische Naturverpackungen Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32 46446 Emmerich/Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510 info@biotec.de www.biotec.de
GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 www.grafe.com
NOVAMONT S.p.A. Via Fauser , 8 28100 Novara - ITALIA Fax +39.0321.699.601 Tel. +39.0321.699.611 www.novamont.com
3. Semi finished products 3.1 films
Grabio Greentech Corporation Tel: +886-3-598-6496 No. 91, Guangfu N. Rd., Hsinchu Industrial Park,Hukou Township, Hsinchu County 30351, Taiwan sales@grabio.com.tw www.grabio.com.tw 1.5 PHA
TianAn Biopolymer No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd, Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800 Tel. +86-57 48 68 62 50 2 Fax +86-57 48 68 77 98 0 enquiry@tianan-enmat.com www.tianan-enmat.com
Metabolix, Inc. Bio-based and biodegradable resins and performance additives 21 Erie Street Cambridge, MA 02139, USA US +1-617-583-1700 DE +49 (0) 221 / 88 88 94 00 www.metabolix.com info@metabolix.com 1.6 masterbatches
GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 www.grafe.com
PolyOne Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 Zoning de la Fagne 5330 Assesse Belgium Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 www.polyone.com
Infiana Germany GmbH & Co. KG Zweibrückenstraße 15-25 91301 Forchheim Tel. +49-9191 81-0 Fax +49-9191 81-212 www.infiana.com
Taghleef Industries SpA, Italy Via E. Fermi, 46 33058 San Giorgio di Nogaro (UD) Contact Emanuela Bardi Tel. +39 0431 627264 Mobile +39 342 6565309 emanuela.bardi@ti-films.com www.ti-films.com
President Packaging Ind., Corp. PLA Paper Hot Cup manufacture In Taiwan, www.ppi.com.tw Tel.: +886-6-570-4066 ext.5531 Fax: +886-6-570-4077 sales@ppi.com.tw 6. Equipment 6.1 Machinery & Molds
Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic Container Industry 284 Pinebush Road Cambridge Ontario Canada N1T 1Z6 Tel. +1 519 624 9720 Fax +1 519 624 9721 info@hallink.com www.hallink.com
Natur-Tec® - Northern Technologies 4201 Woodland Road Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA Tel. +1 763.404.8700 Fax +1 763.225.6645 info@natur-tec.com www.natur-tec.com
9. Services
Osterfelder Str. 3 46047 Oberhausen Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227 Fax: +49 (0)208 8598 1424 thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de
Institut für Kunststofftechnik Universität Stuttgart Böblinger Straße 70 70199 Stuttgart Tel +49 711/685-62814 Linda.Goebel@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de
6.2 Laboratory Equipment
4. Bioplastics products
Minima Technology Co., Ltd. Esmy Huang, Marketing Manager No.33. Yichang E. Rd., Taipin City, Taichung County 411, Taiwan (R.O.C.) Tel. +886(4)2277 6888 Fax +883(4)2277 6989 Mobil +886(0)982-829988 esmy@minima-tech.com Skype esmy325 www.minima-tech.com
Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH Holzhauser Strasse 157–159 D-13509 Berlin Tel. +49 30 43 567 5 Fax +49 30 43 567 699 sales.de@uhde-inventa-fischer.com Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG Via Innovativa 31 CH-7013 Domat/Ems Tel. +41 81 632 63 11 Fax +41 81 632 74 03 sales.ch@uhde-inventa-fischer.com www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com
MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer SAIDA FDS INC. 143-10 Isshiki, Yaizu, Shizuoka,Japan Tel:+81-54-624-6260 Info2@moda.vg www.saidagroup.jp
narocon Dr. Harald Kaeb Tel.: +49 30-28096930 kaeb@narocon.de www.narocon.de
7. Plant engineering
EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH Unterfeldstrasse 3 4052 Ansfelden, AUSTRIA Phone: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-0 Fax: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-23 erema@erema.at www.erema.at
nova-Institut GmbH Chemiepark Knapsack Industriestrasse 300 50354 Huerth, Germany Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40 E-Mail: contact@nova-institut.de www.biobased.eu
UL International TTC GmbH Rheinuferstrasse 7-9, Geb. R33 47829 Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 2151 5370-333 Fax: +49 (0) 2151 5370-334 ttc@ul.com www.ulttc.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
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Suppliers Guide 10.2 Universities
10.3 Other Institutions
Tel.: +49 2161 6884467
10.1 Associations
BPI - The Biodegradable Products Institute 331 West 57th Street, Suite 415 New York, NY 10019, USA Tel. +1‑888‑274‑5646 info@bpiworld.org
European Bioplastics e.V. Marienstr. 19/20 10117 Berlin, Germany Tel. +49 30 284 82 350 Fax +49 30 284 84 359 info@european‑bioplastics.org www.european‑bioplastics.org
Simply contact:
suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com
IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hanover Faculty II – Mechanical and Bioprocess Engineering Heisterbergallee 12 30453 Hannover, Germany Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 ‑ 22 69 Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 ‑ 99 ‑ 22 69 lisa.mundzeck@fh‑hannover.de http://www.ifbb‑hannover.de/
Stay permanently listed in the Suppliers Guide with your company logo and contact information.
Biobased Packaging Innovations Caroli Buitenhuis IJburglaan 836 1087 EM Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel.: +31 6‑24216733 http://www.biobasedpackaging.nl
For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you can be present among top suppliers in the field of bioplastics.
For Example:
Polymedia Publisher GmbH Dammer Str. 112 41066 Mönchengladbach Germany Tel. +49 2161 664864 Fax +49 2161 631045 info@bioplasticsmagazine.com www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Michigan State University Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Professor Ramani Narayan East Lansing MI 48824, USA Tel. +1 517 719 7163 narayan@msu.edu
39 mm
10. Institutions
Sample Charge: 39mm x 6,00 € = 234,00 € per entry/per issue
Sample Charge for one year: 6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 € The entry in our Suppliers Guide is bookable for one year (6 issues) and extends automatically if it’s not canceled three month before expiry.
magnetic_148,5x105.ai 175.00 lpi 45.00° 15.00° 14.03.2009 75.00° 0.00° 14.03.2009 10:13:31 10:13:31 Prozess CyanProzess MagentaProzess GelbProzess Schwarz
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
Events
Subscribe now at bioplasticsmagazine.com the next six issues for €149.–
Event Calendar 4th EPNOE International Polysaccharide Conference 19.10.2015 - 22.10.2015 - Warsaw, Poland
1)
http://epnoe2015.ibwch.lodz.pl
10th European Bioplastics Conference
05.11.2015 - 06.11.2015 - Berlin, Germany www.european‑bioplastics.org
Special offer for students and young professio‑ nals1,2) € 99.‑
Microplastic in the environment
23.11.2015 - 24.11.2015 - Cologne, Germany http://microplastic‑conference.eu
3rd Biopolymers 2015 International Conference 14.12.2015 - 16.12.2015 - Nantes, France
2) aged 35 and below. end a scan of your student card, your ID or similar proof ...
https://colloque.inra.fr/biopolymers2015
Sixth WPC & NFC Conference
16.12.2015 - 17.12.2015 - Cologne, Germany http://wpc‑conference.com
Jul / Aug
BioMass for Sustainable Future: Re-Invention of Polymeric Materials
... or
09.02.2016 - 11.02.2016 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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bio-PEF ?
Sep / Oc
ISSN 1862
ISSN 1862
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SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS 2016
01.03.2016 - 02.03.2016 - Cologne, Germany Highligh ts Fibres / Textiles| 12 Barrier ma terials | 36
Land use
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Innovation Takes Root
30.03.2016 - 01.04.2016 - Orlando Florida, USA
4th PLA World Congress
organized by bioplastics MAGAZINE 24 - 25 May 2016 - Munich, Germany
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Companies in this issue Company
Editorial
Advert
Company
3DOM
24
Erema
A. Schulman
11
European Bioplastics
Addcomp Holland
16
Evonik
Agrana Starch Thermoplastics
54
Aimplas
16,25
16
Germaine de Capuccini
Algix
24
Grabio Greentech
Alki
10
nova-Institute
8,48
19,37,47,55
Novamont
5, 34
55,6
54,59
Nürnberg Messe (BRAU Beviale)
2,54
Petroplast
11
Plantic
40
Plasma
44
55 11
54,55
h.B. Fuller
27
plasticker 55
Grafe 54
Advert
55
44
Aitex
Editorial
48,56
Fraunhofer ISC Fraunhofer UMSICHT
Company
12
32
11
Advert
6,48
FKuR
Ainia-Aimplas
API
Editorial
38
56
PolyOne
54,55
President Packaging
55
PTT/MCC
API Institute
14
Hallink
Archa
44
Helian Polymers
32
Research & Markets
6
ASTM
5
Holland Bioplastics
6
RIKILT Wageningen
18
Roquette
7
Avanzare Innovación
16,44
55
29,54
Infiana Germany
55
BASF
25
Innovació i Recerca Industrial i Sostenible
Belgian Bio Packaging
6
Innovate UK
22
38
Innovia Films
31,38,42
Bi-Ax International Bill Lewis Lures
11,30
Biobased Packaging Innovations
56
Bio-on
7
Bioplastics Organisations Network
6
26,46
Qmilch Deutschland
26
Sharp
11
INSTM
44
Showa Denko
ITA
16
STFI
Jinhui Zhaolong
56
39,54
Kansai Univ.
15
Bösel Plastic Managenment
56
KiddieKix
31
BPI
56
Kingfa
54
SHENZHEN ESUN INDUSTRIAL
54 54 16
Taghleef Industries
55
Tecnológia Perchados textiles
16
TECOS
44
Teijin
15
TerraVeradae BioWorks
22
Tetra Pak
10
Braskem
10
Kurara
c2renew
24
Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients
Canatura
16
Matríca
Centre for Process Innovation
23
Metabolix
Clemson Univ.
38
MGH
Club Bio-Plastique
6
Michigan State University
56
UL International TTC
CNR
44
Minima Technology
55
Univ. Hawai'i
7
colorFabb
32
Mitsubishi Chemical
11
Univ. Pisa
46
COMPOSITES EUROPE (Reed)
8
Moore Capital
7
Univ. Stuttgart (IKT)
Condensia Quimica
44
narocon
Corbion
54
Cristal Union
54 34
11,30
28,31,38 55
Nordisk Bioplast Förening
55
Treleoni
31
Uhde Inventa-Fischer
55
Natur-Tec 54
TianAn Biopolymer 55
NatureWorks
7
DuPont
40
55
Saphium Biotechnology
48
55
54
Saida
Institut for Bioplastics & Biocomposites
Biotec
13
6
21,55 55
55
Verband kompostierbare Produkte
6
Versalis (Eni)
34
Wageningen (WUR)
18
Weyermann
16
Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical
Editorial Planner
58
54
2015/16
Issue
Month
Publ.-Date
edit/ad/ Deadline
Editorial Focus (1)
Editorial Focus (2)
Basics
06/2015
Nov/Dec
07 Dec 15
06 Nov 15
Films / Flexibles / Bags
Consumer & Office Electronics
Plastics from CO2 (Update)
01/2016
Jan/Feb
08 Feb 16
31 Dec 15
Automotive
Foams
Green Public Procurement
02/2016
Mar/Apr
04 Apr 16
04 Mar 16
Thermoforming / Rigid Packaging
Marine Pollution / Marine Degaradation
Design for Recyclability
Chinaplas preview
03/2016
May/Jun
06 Jun 16
06 May 16
Injection moulding
Joining of bioplastics (welding, glueing etc), Adhesives
PHA (update)
Chinaplas Review
04/2016
Jul/Aug
01 Aug 16
01 Jul 16
Blow Moulding
Toys
Additives
05/2016
Sep/Oct
04 Oct 16
02 Sep 16
Fiber / Textile / Nonwoven
Polyurethanes / Elastomers/Rubber
Co-Polyesters
K'2016 preview
06/2016
Nov/Dec
05 Dec 16
04 Nov 16
Films / Flexibles / Bags
Consumer & Office Electronics
Certification - Blessing and Curse
K'2016 Review
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
Trade-Fair Specials
Green up your flooring High performance naturally
Biobased polyamides for carpeted floors can improve the overall environmental sustainability of building interiors. Used for floorings, VESTAMIDÂŽ Terra withstands typical mechanical and physical loads in office and public buildings, and durably retains the attractive surface of the floorings. Evonik offers a variety of technical longchain polyamides suchs as PA610, PA1010 and PA1012. They all share a similar to improved technical performance compared to conventional engineering polyamides while also having a significantly lower carbon footprint. www.vestamid-terra.com
www.novamont.com
BIODEGRADABLE AND COMPOSTABLE BIOPLASTIC
CONTROLLED, ITALIAN, GUARANTEED Using the Mater-Bi® trademark licence means that Novamont’s partners agree to comply with strict quality parameters and testing of random samples from the market. These are designed to ensure that films are converted under ideal conditions and that articles produced in Mater-Bi® meet all essential requirements. To date over 1000 products have been tested.
THE GUARANTEE OF AN ITALIAN BRAND Mater-Bi® is part of a virtuous production system, undertaken entirely on Italian territory. It enters into a production chain that involves everyone, from the farmer to the composter, from the converter via the retailer to the consumer.
USED FOR ALL TYPES OF WASTE DISPOSAL
Mater-Bi® has unique, environmentally-friendly properties. It is biodegradable and compostable and contains renewable raw materials. It is the ideal solution for organic waste collection bags and is organically recycled into fertile compost.
r6_09.2015
EcoComunicazione.it
QUALITY OUR TOP PRIORITY